The Shadows of Doubt
by Lilliana Dearing
Summary: This fic is Trueblood/SVM. While in Dallas Sookie discovers a much darker side of Bill then she had ever been able to imagine. Will Eric and Godric be able to save her? Will she in turn be able to save Godric from himself?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Okay this little ditty is going to be a cross between the television show True Blood and the SVM books. I fully intend to incorporate aspects from both the show and the books into the story, while at the same time creating something new. I must say that the whole reason I decided to write this though is because I loved Godric's character in the show, even if he isn't really Eric's maker in the books, and I have not seen a lot of fic's with him in it that I enjoyed. So, I created my own got to love being a writer no? hehe. Anyway I hope ya'll enjoy and feel free to let me know what you think.

Tons of love,

Lilli

**The Shadows of Doubt**

**Chapter 1**

*****Eric's POV*****

The events of the last few days have most definitely been eventful to say the least. Ever sense I met Sookie Stackhouse my life has been anything but boring. Although with me being as old as I am boring is a very _very_ bad thing; boring means us, vampires, becoming despondent and withdrawn, boring means us eventually choosing to meet the sun. I scoff at that idea, as if I would ever do such an idiotic thing as meet the sun voluntarily. I love my life, even if it is an undead one and regardless of how bored I became, I would never do such a thing.

All in all though things have worked out in my favor in my life, I have a perfect child, I rule a very profitable area, and with the help of the afore mentioned Ms. Stackhouse my maker is safe once again in his nest here in Dallas. I watch him receiving our fellow vampires in, what is supposed to be, a celebration of his liberation from the hate mongers who had somehow managed to hold him captive, The Fellowship of the Sun. Something though is just not right with him as he waves the next vampire forward to make there congratulations. All I can get from him through the bond we share as maker and child is what can only be described as weariness, a desire to no longer be here in this place, it is almost… I let the thought trail off not allowing myself even to think that my maker would be contemplating such a fate. Not my Godric, not the man who taught me everything that I am. To be passionate and fearsome, to live every day to its fullest potential, no my maker would never contemplate such a foolish thing as meeting his final death willingly.

I shake my head of the unpleasant train of thought and approach him, shooing away the vermin that surrounds him. "Hugo's been dispatched, I told him not to stop driving until he reaches the Mexican border." I hiss internally fucking Hugo almost cost us everything, cost me everything, fucking traitors bastard is lucky he got off so lightly. If it had been up to me he certainly would no longer be able to walk let alone drive anywhere on this Earth. Godric simply nodded in acknowledgement to my statement.

"I've arranged for an ab negative human for you, extremely rare." He needs to feed he looks pale and wane and it worries me. I may not be good at showing it on the outside but I love him, even if I cannot say the words.

"Thank you, I'm not hungry." Godric replies but his sullen mood doesn't change, he seems almost despondent and indifferent. I shake my head slightly; this behavior is so unlike him.

"You have to feed eventually; I doubt the Fellowship had anything to offer." I flash him my most charming smile, Sookie would call it cocky but most find it sexy as hell and even endearing. Again Godric just sits, withdrawn into himself. I had a sudden sense of foreboding; something was definitely wrong with my maker. After a long pause I finally ask the question that I have both been dying to ask and the question I have been dreading the most. "Why wouldn't you leave when I first came for you?"

Godric finally turns to me speaking in a slow tone as if speaking to a child who needs to learn a valuable life lesson. "They didn't treat me badly. You'd be shocked at how ordinary most of them are."

I was shocked he could not be serious, those meat sacks, those blood bags, who took him, who were going to force him to meet the sun, he was defending them. "They do nothing but fan the flames of hatred for us." I spit at him angrily.

Godric smiled at me softly. "Let's be honest, we are frightening. After thousands of years we haven't evolved we've only grown more brutal, more predatory. I don't see the danger in treating humans as equals. The Fellowship of the Sun arose because we never did so."

"Is that why you wouldn't fight when they took you?" I whisper to him.

"I could've killed every last one of them in minutes. And what would that have proven?" I was shocked; I had never heard him speak this way. Could he be right? What would it have proven if he had killed them all but that we really are monsters? I let my thoughts wander as my eyes roam the party around us.

He was right, things needed to change in some way with these humans. We were living openly among them now we had to blend in and adapt. Something Vampires are supposed to be experts at considering that for centuries we were forced to do just that, only we did it in the shadows instead of out in the open. My eyes fell on Sookie, laughing the night away with some young female vampire. She was just sitting there chatting away and joking like it was nothing, as if this was normal, as if she spent every day sitting around visiting with vampires who would love to just eat her up. I must have been staring because Godric leaned over and whispered in my ear. "She is very beautiful."

I simply nodded in agreement. She was that indeed, her long golden hair floating feely around her in perpetual movement, seriously did the girl have her own personal air machine blowing her golden locks just right so they had to take on that sexy dreamy quality. "Smart too." He continued.

"Indeed."

"Funny, loyal, charming and quite the little spit fire if I do say so myself."

What is this an advertisement for Sookie Stackhouse's fucking virtues. I nodded again in agreement. There was just something about her and I wanted nothing more to make this woman _**MY**_ woman. Bill Compton didn't deserve to kiss the bottoms of her beautiful feet. I had to sneer a little at the thought that Bill was currently playing house with _**MY**_ woman. As if he read my thoughts Godric asked. "How does Bill Compton feel about your interest in Sookie?"

I almost had to laugh at that, it was word for word what Isabelle had asked me earlier. For the sake of Odin am I really that obvious. "I am not interested in Sookie and even less in how Bill Compton feels." I reply just as coolly as I had earlier with Isabelle. Godric though knows me better though then Isabelle and gives me a withering look.

He raises one eyebrow at me and looks over at Sookie who is now hanging off the arm of Bill. I couldn't help but let a small growl escape my lips as I watch that fool parade her around like a prize. "I do not think you are being honest with me Eric. Either that or you are not being honest with yourself. She really is something extraordinary; it's a shame that she has no taste in men." He laughs slightly I smile in return happy to hear him laugh and see the look of happiness upon his face.

"Indeed."

We sit silently for some time watching Bill and Sookie fawn over each other. "There relationship is curious to me." Godric said.

I pulled my eyebrows together in thought. "I agree, I do not understand what she sees in him or why he has chosen to associate himself with her."

"Well, the reasons he has chosen to associate with her, as you put it, are quite obvious any man would be so lucky to have her love and devotion. Although I don't think that any of my afore mentioned statements of her virtues are the reasons he is doing it. Her reasons for choosing him though are quite apparent, he is handsome enough. She thinks him to be a southern gentleman to her delicate southern belle, she looks at him and I would bet you good money she see's that damn Rhett Butler from that movie all little southern belle girls are raised on. She thinks he is completely and utterly devoted to her which is what every little girl dreams of, a man who will love them completely not despite all of their flaws but because of them. He has quite obviously shown her; at least outwardly that he fits that mold completely. But look at him really watch him interact with her."

I turned my head back towards Sookie and Bill and watch them interact with each other and with the others around them. "Watch," Godric said, "he does not see her. When she is not watching he pulls away slightly as if being in her very presence is a nuisance to him, a burden even, something forced upon him. The moment she turns back to him, he is all southern grace and hospitality doting on her with the way a true lady deserves. From the little I know of her she holds these values and virtues with high importance in her mind. He is being what she thinks every mate should be when she looks upon him."

We fell silent and I observed as they moved about, I had not had many opportunities to observe their interactions. Partly because there was always some damn crisis revolving around them whenever they were in my presence and partly because whenever she was in the room I wasn't really watching Bill Fucking Compton. I only had eyes for her, my little Valkyrie.

After a few moments though of actually studying his behavior towards Sookie I saw that Godric was right on the mark. Sookie's attention was drawn away by a human girl and was laughing and joking around with the girl. Then Bill did the unthinkable, I watched as Bill pulled away and sneered down at her, he was clearly disgusted to be in her presence. **WHAT THE FUCK!**

A low menacing growl escapes my lips, I must have given some indication that I was going to go after Bill because Godric placed his small hand upon my chest to still me. "What do you know of him?"

I turn towards him and shake my head slightly. "Not much, he just moved to my area. In fact I think he checked in maybe two weeks before he brought Sookie to my bar for the first time. Before that not much, I have met his maker, Lorena." I smirk. "She's a piece of work that one. If the things I hear about her are even remotely accurate I am unsure of how he has managed to pull off the mainstreaming life style." I roll my eyes slightly at that.

"I have heard of her, I have never met her but her brutality does precede her. I have heard whisperings of quite a few messes the council has had to clean up on her behalf. You say he is her child?"

"Yes." I nod. "She released him though in the forty's or fifties."

"What of his time between when he was released and when he has joined your little Sookie in her home town."

"I have heard nothing, although I must admit that I didn't look very deeply when he petitioned to move into my area. His home from before he was turned is there in her home town of Bon Tempes. I really did not think anything of it."

"Did he give you any indication on why he choose to return when he came before you with his petition?" I could see the wheels turning in his head trying to sort through the pieces of the puzzle fitting it all together just right so that he could see the whole picture.

I shook my head slightly in the negative. "No, other than him stating that he wished to return to his family home, the former Compton had passed away suddenly and there were no living heirs so the estate reverted to him. He did say that he was looking to restore his home as he had built it with his own hands when he was alive and that he just wished to settle into a quite life. I found the notion to be foolish but did not see a reason to question his motives."

"And you knew nothing of the girl? You had never heard of her before or had any indications that she was special in any way?"

"No, not until the night he brought her into my bar looking to save that fool brother of hers. She warned me of a police raid that was about to take place. Unfortunately there was a vampire currently feeding in the bathroom, she saved me a lot of headache that night by coming to my rescue and outing herself." I smile slightly at the memory, I was definitely drawn to her from the first moment I saw her.

He stilled for a short time clearly pondering over the information. "I would be interested in finding out where exactly Mr. Compton resided before he decided to grace your fair area. With the way that he acts towards her I do not think his intentions are honorable towards _your_ Sookie." A small smile crept on my face before I could stop it, _my Sookie_ it just sounded so … right. "Eric do you think you can find out where he was located before he came to you?"

"I am sure that the information is on his application, Pam reviews them all approves them and then sends just them before me for the final interview. I must admit I abhor paperwork and rarely look over the application if I find nothing wrong with them during the interview."

"I think it would be wise to call her."

I pull out my cell and quickly dial Pam's number. "Master, I trust all is well?"

"Yes, Sookie recovered Godric and he is fine. I need you to go into Bill Compton's file and find out where he has been located over the last fifty years. I want to know who he has been associating himself with since Lorena released him. I want to know everything and I mean EVERYTHING! Godric suspects Bill is up to something and after observing him tonight I tend to agree."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a little blond telepathic bar maid would it?" She said I could hear the annoyance and snarkiness lathered thick in her voice.

"Pamela you will do as I say and not question me again. Are we clear?"

"Yes Master."

"Call me when you have completed your task." I snap my phone shut and turn back to Godric and nod.

"You give her too much leeway Eric." He says seriously.

I laugh softly. "I do, but she is fiercely loyal to me and" I leaned closer to him. "you can never tell her this but I love her just a little bit. She makes me laugh and she is always a challenge. She just is not too fond of the idea of sharing me with anyone else. Besides I like them feisty." I wink at him, Godric roars with laughter, all the vampires look over briefly at him I doubt that any have heard him do such a thing. To me that sound is as good as hearing the horns of the Valkyrie's blowing to take me away to Valhalla.

"Of course." Before I could respond with my next though we heard a loud argument taking place in the living room area. I hiss, and feel my fangs descend, Godric looks at me and I can feel his puzzlement at my reaction to the brunette currently speaking with Bill and Sookie.

"Lorena." I growled softly.

"I can do nothing unless she makes the first move." Godric said softly. I watch silently on the edge of my seat, every muscle in my body screaming and tensing ready to spring into action. I can see Sookie quickly losing her temper and I know this cannot end well. Lorena runs one finger down the center of Bill's chest, it is so obvious that she is trying to provoke Sookie into a confrontation but Sookie is so blinded by her 'love' for Bill that she is unable to see that she is being lured into a trap.

Lorena though has made a fatal flaw in thinking that we would do nothing to stop her from harming Sookie. I am sure that she thinks that we would view her as nothing more than a blood bag to be used and disposed of at our whims, that girl walked into the wrong damn nest. There isn't a vampire here who wouldn't act on behalf of defending Sookie, even if Sookie doesn't realize that. We all owed her a debt for saving Godric and helping prevent the massacre at the church. The entire nest was silent watching their exchange and just as I thought, Sookie was indeed provoked by Lorena placing her hands upon Bill.

"Do not touch him." Sookie screamed in Lorena's face lunging towards her. Bill quickly acted placing his arms around her middle to prevent her from getting any closer to his maker. I tilted my head slightly and watched Bill closely. He was clearly conflicted; he wanted Sookie to attack Lorena but he couldn't allow her to do so. His motivations for wanting such a foolhardy thing are complexly mind boggling to me.

"My we're feisty too." Lorena laughs manically. "Mmmm you're no more than a blood bag, you cannot win this." Sookie flinched slightly at the insult but Bill looked pleadingly at Lorena trying to convince her of something. The more I watched him the more clear it became to me that Godric's words were correct. Something was rotten with Bill Compton. I could clearly see that he wanted to go to Lorena and comfort her but was somehow forced to stand beside Sookie. Why would he do this? Why would he be with a woman he clearly had no affection for?

"I've already won. Bill chose me and yet you still won't give up. Don't you have any shame?" Sookie snarled. With that jab I could feel the entire room tense. I shook my head slightly doesn't this girl have any sense of self preservation?

"Sookie stop." Bill spoke up for the first time; he clearly was between a rock and a hard place here. Something was keeping him by Sookie's side but he could not allow her to insult his maker in such a way.

"I'd listen to him run away little girl. William and I love each other." Lorena said dismissively but we all could see it, she was so close to the edge, she was ready to pounce on Sookie.

Bill released Sookie and grabbed a hold of Lorena's arms, he looked her deep in her eyes, trying to convey something… love maybe or devotion but his words spoke otherwise. "You've gone mad get out now." His words were icy and cold and Lorena was clearly injured by them. For the love of all the Gods why can't Sookie see this man was duping her?

"Maybe you do love him who am I to guess, but he doesn't love you. He never has and that we both know." Sookie said. Shit! Every Vampire in the room took one step closer towards the confrontation. I looked sideways at Godric hoping he would pounce into action before it went too far.

My attention was drawn back to the main event when Lorena shrieked loudly. "Take those words back or they will be your last."

"We're leaving!" Bill yelled trying to drag a struggling Sookie away from Lorena.

"Go find someone else you fucking bitch you've lost this one." Sookie screamed lunging towards Lorena. FUCK FUCK FUCK! Before anyone could even blink Lorena and grabbed Sookie by the throat and slammed her down on a nearby coffee table ready to drain her dry. Godric and I instantly sprung into action and were across the room to rescue Sookie. Godric was two steps ahead of me and reached Lorena first grabbing her by the throat and pulling her off of Sookie.

"Retract … your … fangs … **now**." Godric said in soft but deadly voice. Slowly Lorena's fangs slid back into place with a small click. I looked around the room and quickly observed every vampire in the room had reacted to the attack on Sookie. I had been right in my assessment, they all love her in their own way and would all protect her. I let a small smirk creep on my face, I love it when I am right and let's face it, I am almost always right.

When Lorena retracted her fangs Godric let go of her throat and took one step back, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down upon her with nothing but disdain. "I neither know nor care who you are, but in this area and certainly in this nest I am the authority. Do you understand?" Godric said coldly. I had to keep myself from laughing at his statement, Godric knew exactly who she was but he had to pull the 'I am aloof yet still all powerful act.' I could feel Godric pushing both amusement and warning through our bond telling me to stay quiet and let him deal with this.

"Yes, sheriff." She whispered.

Godric raised his voice slightly clearly addressing the entire nest as well as Lorena. "This human has proven herself to be courageous, and a loyal friend to our kind." Subtext fuck with this girl and you fuck with me. He lowered his voice again clearly speaking only to Lorena now. "And yet you treat her like a child does a dragon fly, pulling off wings for sport. No wonder they hate us."

"She provoked me." Lorena said incredulously.

"And you provoke me." Godric said menacingly leaning forward and getting into her face. "You disrupted the peace in my own home. I could snap you like a twig and I haven't. Now why is that?" Raising an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"It's your choice." She said through gritted teeth.

"Indeed it is." He said, the message clear to all of us fuck with me and you're going to get decimated. "You're an old vampire, I can tell. You've had hundreds of years to better yourself and yet you haven't. You're still a savage and I fear for all of us humans and vampires if this behavior persists. You," Godric said turning to Bill. "you seem to know her."

"Yes Sheriff." Bill nodded in agreement, fucking smarmy bastard.

"Escort her from the nest." Godric commanded, but Bill turned to Sookie to 'check and see if she was alright' fuck he was a great actor.

"Go ahead I'm fine." Sookie said quietly, although she was clearly not fine Bill turned to Lorena placing one hand on the small of her back. The gesture was loving and sweet, FUCK how could Sookie not see that this man was a fake.

"I want you out of my area before dawn." Godric commanded. Lorena just nodded and allowed Bill to escort her out the front door. "Everyone go back to what you were doing before we were so rudely interrupted. Drink, eat, and be merry." Just like that the tension passed and everyone seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief.

Godric and I both turned to Sookie, I noticed a stray blonde hair hanging in front of her eyes and before I could stop myself I brushed it from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Are you all right Sookie?" I said softly looking down into her beautiful blue eyes. By the Gods I could stare into those eyes for eternity.

"I'm fine, I …" she hesitated slightly and took one step away from me and looked back and forth between Godric and me. I could tell she was clearly conflicted wanting to say something, probably quite rude and unladylike if her expression was any indication.

"What is it Sookie? Godric said softly.

"Well, I just don't understand what he ever saw in that woman. Why would someone as good and pure as Bill ever be with someone so… so… evil?" She placed one hand on her hip clearly trying to convey strength but her face and words were anything but. She was questioning, probably for the first time, Bill and all his actions.

I looked at Godric for guidance here; I was at a loss as how to answer this question. After all we had no real proof that Bill was up to no good. We had no proof that he didn't love her. And anything I said she would perceive as being a lie or slanted to make myself look good. A small smile crept on Godric's face he could feel me floundering here. He knew this was unlike me I always knew what to do! This small human woman had me all twisted I felt like a tiny spring leaf cast out into the vast turbulent sea.

"Lorena…" Godric said softly. "well she isn't really just an ex-lover of Bill's. She is his maker; it wasn't like he chose her to be his companion. She choose him and he was stuck with her." Godric was clearly trying to not disparage Bill because we both knew that Lorena didn't choose her children lightly. They always, always were blood thirsty and ruthless.

Sookie clearly contemplated this for a moment and cocked her head slightly looking back and forth between Godric and I. She shook her head lightly. "Okay, I get that she is his maker but something doesn't feel right about it. I mean look at you and Eric. He loves you, so much so that he drug my lily white behind down here and sent me into The Fellowship to find you and ensure that you were safe."

Godric chuckled softly. "Eric and I are not the same as them, and yes Eric loves me as I do him and we have a great respect for one another as well. Eric and I have a very healthy relationship, Bill and Lorena they are different. I am not saying that she does not love him but she is the very essence of what I have been talking about. She is ruthless, and brutal, and cruel, she cares nothing for others feelings, save one. She only looks for what she can gain from others and cares little at what they lose in the process."

"Save one?" Sookie arched her eyebrow in question. Godric looked out the large glass windows of the front room and there in the moonlight stood Bill and Lorena, his arms wrapped around her in comfort, her face buried in his chest but facing towards us with her eyes shut tight. Bloody tears streamed down her face and dripped slowly off the end of her pointed chin, the look on her face was clearly one of heart break. Sookie took all this in and I watched as her heart slowly cracked while she put a few pieces of the puzzle together. "Oh." She whispered softly.

Before either of us could really respond, we heard someone clear their throats behind us, clearly trying to get our attention. "Excuse me everyone, if I could have your attention." Godric and I turned towards the unknown voice and there in the middle of the room stood a boy of no more than 24. The stench of fear was rolling off him and he was sweating heavily draped in an oversized army jacket.

The entire room fell silent waiting to hear what this boy had to say to us. "My name is Luke McDonald. I'm a member of The Fellowship of the Sun" there was a few hisses and Stan stood from his place on one of the couches clearly ready to spring into the action. "and I have a message from you all from Reverend Steve Newlin." The boy unzipped his heavy army jacket and beneath its bulky exterior laid a bomb. I heard Sookie gasp in fear behind me, my only thought in that moment was to protect her.

Godric and I both leapt at Sookie pressing her tiny frame between us, just as the boy triggered the bomb. There was a bright flash of light I could feel bits of shrapnel and bullets, that were somehow rigged into the bombs configuration, pierce my body. The shockwave knocked the three of us to the floor and just before the world went black I said a silent prayer that Sookie would be all right. 'Please Odin watch over this girl and keep her safe.'


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes:

I will try to keep these brief. First, much love to my beta for this story Catie. She did an excellent job helping me out with this chapter and I am really excited to be working with her, both now and in the future. You rock hun.

Second, thank you to all the fans out there reading my work and taking the time to write up a review. I know it is inconvenient and tedious to write a review but your kind words mean the world to me and encourage me to persevere when I am frustrated. I look forward to hearing from all of you in the future. Without you the story would not be able to come to life.

So, with all that out of the way, just sit back, relax, pull up a comfortable chair, get your popcorn ready, and enjoy the ride.

Much love from the West Coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 2**

***Sookie's POV***

"Excuse me everyone, if I could have your attention. My name is Luke McDonald. I'm a member of The Fellowship of the Sun and I have a message for you all from Reverend Steve Newlin." I gasp slightly as his words sink in to my already addled brain. I watch helplessly as he unzips the obviously oversized and heavy army jacket, to reveal a bomb. Before I can even utter a warning to those around me, Godric and Eric launch themselves at me, not at the boy like I would have expected, but at me. Everything slows down to a snail's pace. Godric and Eric flying through the air straight towards me. The boy lifting his left hand with the trigger for the bomb, that is strapped to his chest. Vampires scrambling away, trying helplessly to protect themselves from the inevitable blast. Some vampires desperately running towards the boy trying to get to him before he hit that little red button. Humans standing, seemingly lost and bewildered, just staring at the boy, their brains unable to process what is coming next.

Godric and Eric hit me simultaneously, launching us up and off of the ground, spinning us in an endless spiral. At the same time a blinding light and indescribable force knocks into the three of us, launching us even further into the air. The world went silent, holding its breath waiting for the outcome of this catastrophe, as Eric, Godric, and I fall for what seems to be an eternity to the ground. Both of their arms are wrapped tightly around me cradling me protectively, and even with all the tragedy that I know is inevitability going to come crashing down on me in seconds, I could not have felt safer and more at home then pressed tightly between these two men.

Now, I know what you are going to say about my following thoughts, flying through the air, after having just been blown up is hardly the time to start examining my feelings towards anyone, but that is exactly what I found myself doing as I was flung into the unknown.

I had never in all my life felt more loved then I did in this one moment, where they were willingly sacrificing themselves to keep me safe. Not with my mother, or my father, not with Jason, not with Gran, and most defiantly not with Bill, had I ever felt this safe. To say that I was surprised was a bit of an understatement. In this one instant of pure self sacrifice, with these two men whom I barely knew, I fell in love with them both deeply for what they were willing to do for me, without a moment of hesitation. Neither one of them had to do what they did; instead of taking cover like they should have, they both reacted instinctually to make sure that I would survive the blast of a fanatic.

The logical side of my brain was trying to argue with my sudden epiphany. Eric was evil. He had kidnapped and tortured Lafayette for weeks and had manipulated me into coming here to Dallas. He could never truly love me, could he? His actions though, his action's right now, in this moment showed me that he cared. If I was really honest with myself, I knew that he had from the first moment I laid eyes on him, I had just been trying to fight it with my entire being. I was scared of what would happen if I allowed myself to succumb to his advances.

Bill was safe, easy; although I loved him I wouldn't call myself heavily invested in our 'relationship.' I knew something was off about everything with him, but I just pushed it all aside because he was the safe choice. He might be able to rip out my heart someday, but never my soul and I knew one betrayal from Eric would do just that. If I was truly honest with myself and in this moment where I knew that I could quite possibly be going to meet my maker, I had to be, Bill was all wrong for me. What's done is done though, and even if I somehow miraculously survive this, I am with Bill. I love him and I cannot just turn my back on him for something that may just be a passing fancy. Yeah right, keep telling yourself that girl.

Godric, now he confused the hell out of me, even more so then Eric. I hadn't even known him twelve hours yet, and he's risking himself to save me, or at least attempted to, depending on the outcome of being blown the hell up. I am not entirely certain, but I am pretty sure, being in a room, where a big fucking bomb has just gone off, is pretty bad for your health. I felt just as drawn to him as I did to Eric, and that confused my delicate, Southern sensibilities even further. How is it possible that I was in love with not one, but THREE men at the same time? Not only that, but seriously entertaining the idea that I would like nothing more than to be pressed between these two firm bodies that embraced me now for the rest of eternity. Somehow, I do not think that polygamy was something that my Gran would approve of.

With a heavy thwack we finally descended from our free fall through time and landed roughly to the earth. My breath was pushed out of me with the heavy force of the fall, and the world was still. One, two, three ragged breathes later, and the noise started to reenter my little world. At first it was very quiet, nothing more than the ringing in my ears from the explosion, my ragged breaths in and out trying to stabilize themselves, and my heart beating out a steady rhythm to let me know, for certain, that I had somehow managed to survive.

The volume on the world around me was turned up a notch at a time, the quite moans of the two men who still held me encased in their arms, the wails of the few human's who were far enough away from the blast to survive, the vampire's angry voices screaming their righteous indignation at what had been done to them. I felt the cool drip drip drip of blood seeping onto to me; I squirmed slightly beneath the weight of Godric, and realized that half my body was soaking wet. I squirmed again, and the wetness, which was cold and oppressive against my skin was becoming more uncomfortable by the moment. Wait, cold? **SHIT**. It had to be Godric and Eric's blood that was covering me, and for over half of my body to be covered in it meant that my two saviors were seriously injured. I had to help them NOW!

I tried franticly to push Godric off of me with all of my strength, but as hard as I tried I could not move him. They had locked me into an iron grip that my strength would never be able to break. I was becoming frantic pushing and wiggling beneath Godric's weight trying to free myself so that I could save him, save them. Hot tears burned my face fearing that I would not get free in time. I could hear Stan and Isabelle not far off and I screamed for them. "STAN! ISABELLE! HELP! GODRIC AND ERIC ARE HURT BADLY!"

Within mere moments the weight of Godric was lifted from me and I could see the horror that this peaceful nest had become. The walls were covered in blood and gore from the blast of human and vampire's insides spraying apart in every direction. The floor was littered with bits and pieces of unidentifiable parts and ash, scattered in almost every inch of the once beautiful white and gold marble flooring. My mind was reeling, screaming at me to look away, cover my eyes, run as fast as my feet would carry me away, far far away from this horror that now would forever be burned into my tiny little brain. My mind was trying to protect itself, and I could feel a wave of blackness threatening to rush up and take me away from all of this, so that I could retain some shred of my sanity.

"Sookie, SOOKIE!" I felt a gentle shake on my shoulder, and turned slowly towards the voice. I felt like I was in one of those badly made horror movies. Except this was real, it was so real, the blood in horror movies was never so crisp and vibrant, it never moved so fluidly down the walls, the smell had never filled my nose, my lungs, my brain, seeping into every pore of my being. The heavy metallic smell and taste of copper, and the distinct pungent acrid smell of bowel and stomach acid, was filling all of my senses. It was all threatening to overwhelm me.

"SOOKIE!!" I felt another shake, harder this time and I looked into Isabelle's face. I had never in my life witnessed such devastation. I had never been to war. Heck, I hardly even watched anything above a pg-13 rating. This, this was a whole new world that I was currently witnessing; all my innocence was stolen with the simple push of a little red-button. Such violence, such depravity. How could anyone do this horrendous thing to anyone, regardless if they were vampires or not? Hell, there were plenty of humans here too, that act was just filled with such hate, the likes of which I had never seen, and these people that committed this act call themselves Christians. I prayed with all my might that I would never have to witness, such a terrible thing again, for as long as I lived.

Hot tears filled my eyes, and Isabelle looked down at me with sudden understanding, and compassion. She pulled me to her gently, and held me tight, running her hands through my hair softly. "Sshh… sshh… I know… I know mio piccolo sole(my little sun), I know." I look up into her eyes and she smiles gently at me, and I see nothing but love behind her eyes, and an almost desperate need to comfort me.

There is a hiss just behind me, and my attention is drawn away from the vampire who had somehow taken on a motherly role towards me. Stan is crouched next to Godric trying to dig something out of his chest. "What's wrong?" I ask.

"The bullets are silver Sookie, I cannot get a grip on them to get them out, and some are too deep for me to even reach. Typically, our bodies would just push out the foreign objects so they could begin to heal. Even with them being silver he should have been able to, but there is just too much lodged in his body for him to do so. If we don't get it out soon, I am afraid of what might happen."

I look down at the broken man in front of me, the man who had undoubtedly saved my life, and my brain instantly switched gears. "Stan, check on Eric, and find out who is worse of the two of them, I think we were closest to the blast." He nods at me once and moves to Eric. "Isabelle, find my brother. Get all of the vampires who are seriously injured into one area, so that we can tend to them quicker and more efficiently, I don't want anyone to be missed because they were blown into a separate room. Round up any humans that are still alive, we need to get blood into the surviving vampires quickly. Have Jason and the other humans help you remove any sliver from the wounds. Make sure to pair up any uninjured vamps with the humans so that there are no more casualties here tonight. After that, we are going to need to find everyone a safe place to rest for the day, call the hotel, tell them we have incoming, and arrange for donors to be at every vamps room, along with security for the unstable vamps where you think it is needed." Isabelle nodded and was off like a shot to go about the tasks I had set for her.

I looked over at Stan; he had a small smirk plastered on that handsome face of his. "What?" He just shook his head slightly at me, his smirk growing larger, and turned back to examining Eric.

"Godric's injuries are far graver. Sookie you're going to have to get those bullets out of him." I nod my head slightly, determined to keep a cool head and do what has to be done. I fall to my knees next to Godric and take a large steadying breath. I could do this. I move Godric's shirt further away from his body and for the first time, I was able to take in the amount of damage that was there. I gasp in horror at the ruin that lay before me; I feel a large hand press firmly on my shoulder. I look over and Stan is kneeling next to me and I see the same look of concern and compassion behind his eyes as I had seen in Isabelle's earlier. "You can do this." He said softly.

I nod again, turning back to Godric silently, and take another steadying breath. "I can do this," I whisper to myself. I insert a finger into a wound on his chest just above his heart, which would be the most important spot to clear first. I knew that the sliver would eventually burn its way through his chest, possibly piercing his heart and killing him. This was something I could not, would not, allow. I could feel the wound sucking at my trembling fingers, pulling me further in, closer and closer to my goal. I could just feel the edge of the warm metal, incased in this cold flesh, but I couldn't quite get a grasp on it.

"I can't reach it." I growl in frustration.

"You can do it Sookie." Stan says squeezing my shoulder gently, to reassure and comfort me. I reach again, but this time I feel the bullet move further away from my fingertips, going deeper into Godric's body.

"Stan find a knife, a really sharp one quickly." Without even looking to see if Stan is complying with my orders, I lean forward, place my lips around the wound, and suck as hard as I can, willing the bullet to come free of his body, and into my waiting mouth. I didn't give a second thought to the fact that I was swallowing mouthful after mouthful of Godric's blood. All I cared about is getting the damn things out of him.

Finally, I feel the bullet pop into my mouth; I spit it to the side and move to the next wound. This time, I don't even bother trying to pull the bullet out with my fingers I just latch on and suck. Quicker this time, the bullet comes free and I move to the next, one by one, I sucked them out, freeing him of all the harmful silver that was riddling and polluting his body.

"Sookie there is more imbedded into his back." Stan says from right behind me. "And I'm sorry Sookie the knives are all being used at the moment by the others.

"Fine, whatever, it doesn't really matter; help me roll him please so I can get to his back." Stan darts over to the opposite side of Godric, and pulls him gently towards him, so I could get to his back. Without a word, I repeat the process of pulling the foreign objects from him, until I am positive that every single one has been purged from his body.

"Roll him back, we need to get blood in him." Stan instantly complies, how the fuck was I going to do this? It isn't like Godric can really bite into me to take my blood, so he can start the healing process. Without even thinking, I hold my wrist up to Stan. "Bite!" He looks at me in clear shock.

"Sookie…"

"He can't do it Stan. Open up the wound damn it, NOW!" He instantly strikes opening up the wound in my wrist; I bite my tongue to keep from crying out from the pain. This was no gentle love nip in the throes of passion. Stan pulls away and my blood is flowing freely from the bite. I place it firmly to Godric's parted lips, praying that he would latch on. "Please Godric, please drink." After what felt like eternity, I felt his lips tighten around the wound, and the gentle suck of him pulling blood from me. "Thank God." I say softly as tears slip down my face. I watch in amazement as the wounds on his chest and sides slowly start to heal. His tongue slips over the wound on my wrist, sealing it shut and he finally opens his beautiful, dark chocolate eyes to me.

"Don't cry dear one, I am fine." He whispers softly, reaching up and cupping the side of my face gently. "Go help Eric." I nod once, and move over to the other man, who has stolen a piece of my heart. He looks so peaceful in his unconscious state; I almost have to laugh as I think of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. She had to have the kiss of her true love to wake her from her death sleep, and at the moment, Eric was definitely my sleeping beauty.

I yanked his t-shit, trying to rip it free from his body, so that I could get to his wounds. Try as I might though I could not get it free, even with the vampire blood now coursing through my veins. "STAN!" I yelled.

"Go, go help Sookie, I will be fine in a moment." I hear Godric whisper roughly behind me.

"What do you need Sook?" Stan asks softly.

"I can't get his shirt free so I can get to the wounds." He grabs the shirt by the collar, yanks quickly, and it just magically vanishes from Eric's chest. "Thanks." I scan Eric's large chest and waist assessing the damage, Stan was right, it wasn't nearly as bad as Godric's wounds. I set to work, repeating the same process that I had performed with Godric. When I was certain I had all of the sliver out of his chest and belly, I turned to Stan. "Is there any more?"

"One more in his right bicep and that's it." I make quick work of the last bullet and spit it to the floor, thanking all that is holy that I was able to get through all of this. I hold my wrist up to Stan and without a word he strikes, reopening the wound in my wrist. In much less time, Eric's eyes slowly flutter open, and a huge smile spreads across my face. I don't think I had ever seen a more beautiful pair of blue eyes in my entire life. "I thought I lost you." I whisper to him as he licks my wound closed.

"Never, Sookie. Never." He says just as quietly, placing one hand gently on my face. Before I have a chance to respond, I am flying through the air backwards, a sharp pain shooting through my arm.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!" I was completely shocked, and surprised as I looked into the snarling face of Bill. Crap. "WELL?!" he growls at me and shakes me slightly. For the life of me I have no clue what the hell he is talking about. My mind is drawing a complete blank as to what answer he is looking for. What had I done that had been so wrong that he would be reacting this way? Before I even have an opportunity to answer I hear loud growls completely encompassing us.

"Release the girl Compton." Godric snarls, I look around noticing that every, single, vampire that was still alive and ambulatory was closing ranks on Bill and I.

"SHE IS MINE!" Bill snarls.

"Bill what is going on? Why are you so pissed? I don't understand, what is going on?"

"WHAT'S GOING ON? WHATS GOING ON!!!?" He shakes me again and a small whimper escapes my lips. "I COME IN AND FIND YOU IN THE ARMS OF NORTHMAN, STINKING OF HIS BLOOD, AND CLEARLY WITH FRESH BITE WOUNDS, AND YOU DARE TO ASK ME WHAT IS GOING ON!?"

"Bill you don't understand I …"

"YOU WHAT SOOKIE? YOU SLIPPED AND JUST HAPPENED TO FALL INTO NORTHMAN'S ARMS. YOU… ARE… MINE."

"I won't tell you again. Release the girl Compton. Her quick thinking saved the lives of every injured vampire here tonight. Not to mention my own and Eric's. Now I would suggest you treat her with a little more respect."Godric growled in his small menacing voice. He didn't have to scream and yell to get his point across. You just followed his order, and that was the end of that.

"I HAVE WORKED TOO HARD, AND TOO LONG, TO HAVE HER STOLEN AWAY BY THE LIKES OF ANY OF YOU. SHE IS MINE. I AM LEAVING AND SHE IS COMING WITH ME."

Bill tightened his grip on my arm, and proceeded to drag me out of what was left of the front door of the nest. I was so shocked by Bill's behavior; I wasn't entirely sure how to react to it. I had never seen him so angry before, let alone raise his voice, much beyond a quiet murmur. I got one last look over my shoulder at Godric and Eric; they were standing together, side by side, as they must have been doing for a millennia. Both were so handsome and loving, and yet so hard and lethal at the same time; they were a bundle of contradictions. They watched me being pulled away from them, with nothing but love and concern in their eyes. Bill yanked me roughly away from them, and into the chill of the Texas night air. What the hell had I done by choosing Bill?


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: **

**WARNING:** this chapter contains violence of an extreme nature. If you are opposed to such things I would suggest that you skip it and wait for the next chapter comes out next week. You will be missing some plot points but not everyone likes to read or envision the violence that takes place here.

I would like to thank all of you who took the time to review the last chapter that came out. Your words brightened my day. I always appreciate all of your opinions good or bad. Just so that ya'll know though if I don't answer your questions it is because it would give away upcoming plot. Also, if you see an error in the text; be it grammar or something along that nature, could you please point out exactly where it is so that I can correct it. My beta and I are not perfect and things will be missed on occasion.

Thanks to my lovely beta Catie who puts up with all of my issues and is willing to dedicate her time to my work. One last note before I go, I am going working on putting up a blog on wordpress. If you are interested in having access to it let me know and I will give you the web address for it. Have fun reading ya'll and tell me what you think.

Tons of love from the west coast,

Lilli

Chapter 3

*Eric's POV*

I watch helplessly as fucking Compton drags Sookie out the door and away from me, from Godric, from us. I want nothing more than to go running after her and snatch her away from his grasp. "Without her asking for our protection there is nothing we can do." Godric said.

"I know," I growl at him. "I just don't think she realizes that. Fuck, I don't think she realizes how much danger she could possibly be in right now."

"Let us hope that he truly does love her in his own way and that he would not be foolish enough to harm her."

"That girl is a ray of sun in our dreary world and she should be treasured," Isabelle said. You could hear the sorrow and affection for Sookie, in her softly spoken words. "Godric isn't there anything we can do? He is going to hurt her, I just know he is, and I fear that you and Eric will not be in time to prevent him from hurting her beyond repair, or worse, causing her final death," Isabelle said quietly as she stares at the front doors of the nest. The three of us, Godric, Isabelle, and me just stand, motionless staring at the doors. As if we can still see her there, looking at us with those pleading eyes full of confusion and doubt.

Stan interrupted our brooding, sauntering up to us and staring off in the same direction that Sookie had just exited. "I say we all just mount up and go and stake the fucker. That girl is something special. If it weren't for her, we would have lost over half our nest tonight ya'll. You should have seen her Godric, the way she took charge. It was amazing. She was barking orders at us, like an experienced general and not the delicate southern belle that she is. She paired up the non-injured vamps with the humans to cleanse all the wounds of silver and donate. She had the foresight that some of our nest mates might get out of hand, so it was best if the humans had a vamp with them to help control the injured. She arranged for all of us to have safe accommodations for the day, and then sucked the sliver out of your wounds like it was nothing. I could tell she was scared shitless, but she did what she had to do to save all of our butts tonight."

We all stare at Stan in utter disbelief at his statement, all of us unsure as how to react, or what to say to him. Apparently, Godric came to his senses first. "Stan, I find it amazing that you have paid such a high complement to a human."He raises an eyebrow at him questioningly; we all know that Stan has no love for any human. He is always the first to act out savagely against them. He has never been one to advocate peace, let alone, rush in and save the day of one girl.

He shrugs. "We were all human once, I think maybe I just forgot that, but Sookie she ain't like the rest of them is she? She's something else, something more. Even if she was a plain ol' human, which I highly doubt after tasting her tonight, she looks at us and sees the good in us all, she doesn't see just the monsters we have become. Maybe, we all act the way we do because we have only ever been treated a certain way. Hell, I don't know. I ain't no philosopher. But I think, after being told for hundreds of years that you're a monster, eventually you're going to think you are one and act like one to boot." He shrugs again, turns on his boot heel, and walks away.

Before any of us have a chance to respond to this shocking revelation by Stan, of all people, my telephone saves the night. "Northman" I answer grouchily.

"Master, I have the information that you requested and you are not going to like it one bit."

My entire body goes rigid at her words and I know that whatever her investigation has uncovered is going to make this night even worse than it already is. "What is it Pam?"

"Please Master just remember the old proverb don't shoot the messenger."

"DAMN IT PAM! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR FUN AND GAMES TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!"

"God," she huffed, "what crawled into your ass and died?"

"If you must know Pamela, about 20 humans and 12 vampires that's what. Courtesy of The Fellowship of the Sun and a big fucking bomb. So just tell me what the fuck I want to know NOW!"

She is quiet for a long moment; I can hear and feel the questions rolling through her mind. Yet, she is unsure of how I will react if she pushes me for information on the statement I have just made. Finally coming to the conclusion that she doesn't want to push me she says, "I'm sorry Master. Bill was living in New Orleans before he came to our neck of the woods. Apparently, he got into a bit of trouble when he first came here. Poaching or some such nonsense, and he became indebted to the queen for doing this. From what I can find out, Bill had killed one of her pets, so in turn he signed a contract to serve the queen for the next 1000 years or until she releases him for the little indiscretion. Hell, even if she meets her final death he will not be released before the contract is up. The contract would pass to one of her children. Well, as you can imagine, I would not think that she would release her favorite whipping boy, so I made a few calls. Rasul was willing to talk me. He told me that he had heard whispers that the queen sent Bill on some super secret mission to acquire a new asset at any cost. Did you know that the queen has taken a new human pet, named Hadley?"

"Yes I remember Hadley. Do you think that the asset is Sookie?"

"Oh I know it is. Hadley's last name is Stackhouse. I actually spoke to Hadley and from what I could gather she was trying to impress the queen and told her all about our little telepath, including her obsession with the perfect Southern gentleman. Bill's orders were to come to Bon Tempes, seduce Sookie, and convince her to start a blood bond with him. Then he was to bring her before the queen, for a introduction. The queen would swoop in and save her, from a now abusive Bill, and they would all live in the palace happily ever after. Hadley actually seemed quite excited about the prospect of having Sookie join her in the royal entourage."

I was shocked. I really didn't know what to say or how to react to this information. "You have done well Pam, go and buy yourself something pretty." Before she even has an opportunity to answer, I disconnect the call and turn towards a waiting Godric.

"I take it the news was not good as I suspected?" Godric asked calmly. How could he be so fucking calm at a time like this? I knew he had feelings for Sookie, but he was being so rational about it all. My anger was burning me like molten lava from the inside, threatening to rise up and wipe out all that stood in my path.

"The queen sent him for her," I hiss through gritted teeth.

"It will not be safe for her to return to Louisiana, especially once Sophie finds out that Sookie had our blood tonight." He clasps one of my shoulders firmly. "Do not worry Eric; he cannot take her back tonight. There is not enough time for him to arrange transport for them. No, he will try to get them out tomorrow, but we will stop him from taking her, I promise."

"All I know, right now, in this moment, is I am going to fucking kill Bill Compton."

"Calm yourself child, we must think with our heads not our hearts. Killing him will not accomplish anything. It will only put Sookie at greater risk. No, we must tell her what we have learned and convince her to ask for asylum here."

Before I have a chance to respond, pains shoots through every cell of my body and I know it is Sookie. The pain is so intense that I fall to the ground. I look up through gritted teeth and see Godric have a similar reaction as mine. "Sookie" we say in unison.

"Isabelle," Godric yells, "make sure you get everyone to the hotel as quickly as possible. Bill is brutalizing Sookie as we speak. Eric and I will fly to her. Have one of the humans deliver anything Sookie may need to my other nest. Also make sure that everyone is secured for the day at the hotel. We will check in with you tomorrow after sunset." As he gives his orders, we make our way out the front doors, to take off into the night.

"Hold on Sookie, hold on," I whisper softly. I feel the pull towards her, like she is screaming out to me, begging me to help her, save her, from whatever it is she is enduring. Looking over at Godric as we fly through the night sky, I can tell he is feeling the same thing as I am. Compton was a fucking dead man.

We finally reach the hotel after the most agonizing twenty minutes I have ever spent in my entire existence. Every moment, the pain emanating from Sookie grew exponentially worse. We landed heavily, in front of a now very startled door man, and speed through the lobby towards the stairwell. Every stair felt like an insurmountable obstacle standing in my path, every floor felt like a burden keeping me from rescuing her.

I finally clear the last step, practically ripping the door off the hallway entrance to the floor we needed. Putting in another burst of speed I take off down the hallway, coming to a skidding stop in front of the room that I know Compton and Sookie share. Just as I am about to rip the door open, I hear a scream from inside that could have only come from Sookie. "PLEASE BILL NO MORE, I BEG YOU."

"I AM YOUR MASTER NOW BITCH AND YOU WILL LEARN YOUR FUCKING PLACE! NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU! I CAN DO WITH YOU WHATEVER THE FUCK I LIKE!"

Without another thought I kick the door in and say in my most cool voice. "Oh, I don't know about all that Bill."

*** Sookie's POV ***

Bill drags me from the house and into the night, and never in all my life have I been more afraid. He is seriously freaking me out. I have never seen him like this and I have the sudden urge to run back into the nest, into Eric and Godric's arms to be kept safe from this monster. I must have made some kind of indication that I was trying to get away because he tightened his grip enough that pain ripped through my now much abused arm. I let out a small whimper of sound and he laughs. He actually laughs at me. What the hell! I get tossed, quite unceremoniously, into the back of the waiting limo and before I could even collect myself, we are speeding off towards the hotel.

I gingerly climb up off the floor and move as far away from Bill as I can, pressing my now aching body into the partition that separates me from the driver. Bill is just sitting there staring at me as my body trembles, and the longer he stares the more afraid I become. He looks like the cat watching the mouse, just waiting for the right moment to pounce. I have never seen him this way before, and honestly I am kind of clueless as to why he is so pissed in the first place. "Bill…" I said, my voice quivering the slightest bit with my terror.

He holds up one slender hand to stop my words. "I would highly suggest that you keep your fucking mouth shut. You have already angered me immensely and unless you truly wish to press your luck, you will not speak further."

"What the hell Bill! Why are you even pissed at me in the first place? Why are you treating me like this way? I don't understand what has gotten into you but I won't stand for…" A sharp pain lances across my face. I shake my head, stunned slightly from the sudden pain that seemed to come out of nowhere. I shake my head again, trying to figure out what the hell just happened and I see Bill sitting across from me, with what can only be described as a smug look plastered across his handsome face. With that look it all just clicked. Oh my God, he just slapped me!

"WHAT THE FUCK? DID YOU JUST FUCKING HIT ME? THAT'S IT I AM LEAVING. STOP THE CAR RIGHT FUCKING NOW! I WILL NOT STAND FOR YOU…" Before I finish my rant of indignation about how he had dared to strike me, I find myself watching the ceiling of the limo fly past my eyes. As I fly through the air and slam into the floor of the limo, a sharp pain shot through my back and tailbone. I let out a small humph noise mixed with a scream of pain, as the wind is knocked out of me. Bill looms above me straddling my waist, his fangs out completely and he is snarling like a rabid pit bull, just inches above me.

"You will do well to heed my warning and shut the fuck up. When we reach our room, you will be taught a lesson for your disobedience. I suggest though that if you want to walk to the room under your own power and not carried over my shoulder, beaten and broken, you shut the fuck up." I blinked and he had resumed his former seat. He leans over to the mini bar area and grabs a towel that is resting on the ledge. He tosses the towel into my face and says in the coldest, cruelest voice I ever heard, "Clean yourself up. You're bleeding on the carpet."

I lick my lips, tasting the tangy metallic taste of my blood coating them. He busted my lip when he smacked me and I hadn't even realized it. Fuck, what the hell am I going to do? I knew I should have stayed in the nest with Godric and Eric. Why hadn't I trusted my instincts? I huddle back into the corner of the limo, as far away from Bill as I can get, grasping the towel desperately to my lips in an effort to stop the blood flow. My mind is racing, trying to figure out some way to get out of the hell that I have suddenly found myself in. The limo slowly squeals to a stop in front of the hotel and my heart stops, and then starts racing at top speed. FUCK FUCK FUCK!

Before the driver can even open the door, Bill is out of the car waiting for me. I don't move. Fuck that. There is no way I want to go anywhere with him. He leans his head in and says. "I suggest you get out of the car now." I shake my head no, suddenly losing my voice. I really want to yell and scream at him, but I have somehow lost my nerve, or was still too traumatized at the idea that he had actually hit me.

"If you don't get out of the car I am going to drag you out." I shake my head again. There is no way I am going with him willingly.

He laughes coldly at me. "It will be much, much worse for you if you make me come in after you."

With those words I loose it. Who the hell did he think he is? I may be scared as hell but there is no way I am gonna stand for any one laying their hands on me. "Fuck you, I'm not going anywhere with you. Why don't you just go back to the room? I am leaving."

He laughs again and climbs into the car, stalking towards me. Nope, there is no way I am going anywhere with him willingly. I shift my weight onto the palms of my hands, tuck my knees up to my chest, and wait until he is directly in front of me. As soon as I know I will be successful, I kick out with my feet as hard as I can and hit him square in the nose. I feel the delicate bones crunch beneath my shoes and blood sprayed slightly, hitting me in the face. At this point though, I really don't give a fuck. He rocks backwards from the unexpected impact; I kick out at him again landing both feet squarely in his sternum. He flys backwards this time and hits his head hard on the mini bar, his eyes fluttering shut. YES, I want to shout with excitement at my success. It is now or never though and I need to get the hell out of there before he wakes up. I know I won't have long. I need to try to get away, to call Eric and Godric, something, anything. There is no way I am going to allow Bill to brutalize me.

I scramble over his body as quickly as I can. I can feel the breeze of the night air tickling my face I am so close. Then a cold steel trap came crashing down around my ankle and pulls me back into the car. My face smashes into the floor of the limo, from Bill yanking my feet out from underneath me. "You will fucking pay for this," Bill hisses quietly in my ear. He grabs my wrist roughly and drags me, kicking and screaming, from the car and into the lobby.

I am fighting him with all my might, scratching at his wrist, and leaning backwards with all my weight. Trying to somehow slow him down, but my shoes are slick and they just skid across the hard marble floor. He just ignores my scratching, as if I am just giving him gentle caresses, instead of gouging big hunks of flesh from his hand and arm. I look over and see several hotel employees looking on, but when I catch their eyes and scream at them to help me they are suddenly busy with paperwork, or look down at the ground, ignoring my plight entirely. They are all too scared to incur the wrath of an angry vampire. I am pissed that they don't help, but I can't really blame them too much, seeing how said angry vampire is now dragging me towards our room, to do unknown, and undoubtedly unpleasant, things to me.

All too quickly we are exiting the elevator on our floor, standing in front of the doorway to our room. Bill fumbles in his pocket for the key, but it is in the pocket on the side he is holding me and he is having a hard time fishing it out of his pocket. I double my efforts to try and escape, twisting and turning, pulling as hard as I can, trying desperately to get away from him. He finally gets the damn key out of his pocket and is unlocking the door. I kick him as hard as I can on the outside of his knee and he hits the floor like a sack of bricks. He howls in pain, I know without a doubt I have dislocated his knee, maybe even broken it, but I don't care, as he instinctually grabs for his leg as he falls to the floor releasing me.

I take off, running as fast as my legs can carry me through the maze like corridors, back towards the elevators and freedom. I do not dare to look behind me. I know he could be on me at any second and if I look it could be a fatal mistake for me. One misstep and I will be done for. My lungs burn in my chest from the exertion of running so fast, of struggling so hard, but I push myself to keep going. Finally my goal comes into sight. Not even four feet in front of me is the door to my freedom, the stairwell that leads to the lobby. I know it will be more difficult for him to catch me on the stairs because of his knee; all that bending would slow him down considerably. I might, just might have a chance of getting out of this. I grab the door handle to the stairway pulling it open and start to run forward. Only to go flying backwards as my foot touches the landing of the stairwell. Bill had grabs me by the back of my hair and I land on my butt, and he just continues to drag me towards our room without even waiting for me to get to my feet.

"NO BILL STOP THIS, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS," I beg. But he doesn't say a word. He just continues on towards his goal and throws me into our room once we reach the doors. As I sail through the air I think maybe, just maybe, I will land on the window and go flying out of the room when the glass shatters. I knew he couldn't fly, so there is no way he would catch me then. Or maybe I would hit some piece of furniture too hard and I would break my neck; that would solve my problem as well. But neither of these things happen. I mean yes, I land on some piece of furniture, breaking it beneath me when I fell on it. But I don't die from doing so and in that second as I lay there, a heap on the floor, I pray for death so that I won't have to endure what is inevitably coming at the hands of someone that I have loved more than anything else on this planet.

I watch helplessly, as Bill strides towards me, one agonizing step at a time. I know that within seconds, I will be firmly in his grasp and he will begin doing things to me that I never thought him capable of and I am most definitely right. Bill snatches me up off the ground, using my hair as leverage to maneuver me about. He makes sure I am looking him dead in the face when he smiles at me. That huge loving smile I used to love so much, but there is something off about it; it isn't quite right. It is cold, condescending, and is speaking of the pleasure he will be taking at what I am about to endure at his hands. The hands that had caressed every inch of my body, the hands that had soothed me when I was scared, the hands that had helped to convince me to give him my virginity. Those hands were about to do me great harm and he was going to love doing it.

He pulls his hand back and slaps me in my face so hard that I know if he hadn't have been holding my hair, I would have flown backwards. Before I can even shake off the stun I received from the first blow, he hits me again and again. Over and over he strikes me, and laughs the entire time. I can feel the bones creaking and finally giving way under his determined hand. I feel my lips split; cracking open like rotten tomatoes on a hot summer day, spilling forth their juices and seeds into the awaiting earth. I would give anything, do anything, if only this frenzy would end. I say the only thing I could think of "I love you Bill don't do this please," I beg him.

His hand stills suddenly halfway to my face and I breathe a small sigh of relief that his merciless torrent of blows has come to a temporary halt. "Of course you do," he laughs coldly. "You stupid cow. Of course you love me, but you are going to get everything you deserve tonight." He throws his head back and roars with satisfaction and I seize the moment. I swing back my foot and kick that son of a bitch square in the nuts. That will teach him. I really want to spit on him as he falls to the floor, but I know I don't have much time. I leap over his body, as he groans and writhes on the floor, clutching his dick in his hands.

I don't even make it halfway across the room; I'm not even close when a force hits me like a speeding train runs into me from behind, taking me down to the floor. Bill is snarling behind me, I can feel his cold salvia dripping onto the back of my neck; he is like a rabid dog. He leans forward gnashing his teeth right next to my earlobe; I can hear his teeth clicking together loudly. "Before this night is through, I am going to teach you who your Master is, you worthless bitch. You will learn to have the proper respect and fear of me, you will learn to roll over take it and beg me for more. You pathetic fucking blood bag."

He lifts me up off the floor tucking me under his arm, like I am a human shaped football. I twist, and turn and writhe, trying to escape his grasp, to no avail. Once again I get the sensation of flying, as he throws me through the air and onto the awaiting bed. Landing face first, I feel the breath fly out of me, as my face and abdomen connect with the mattress. Pain shoots through my already sore and broken face, and if I had any air in my lungs to scream I would have. My eyes water with the intensity and suddenness of it.

Before I can even try to get off the bed, to put some distance between Bill and I, I feel him land heavily on my back, a knee placed firmly on each side of my waist, and his butt resting on my own. For the first time I really began to panic. I know that no good will come from us, being here, in this room, with me lying face down on a mattress. My flight or fight instinct kicks into overdrive as I realize, my chances of escape have just diminished considerably. I kick my feet out and flail my arms, twisting and turning, throwing my body around, trying with all that I am to get away from this mad man, this mad man that I once loved more than anything in the world.

"None of that now, my pet, you will learn your lesson well this evening," he says cruelly. He slowly starts to apply pressure to my waist with his thighs. Squeezing me tighter and tighter, to the point of where I think that my two halves are going to separate from this insane pressure. I muse to myself briefly that this must be what a rat feels like when it is being squeezed by the boa constrictor, right before the snake eats it for dinner.

His icy cold fingers brush softly across the back of my neck almost lovingly; the very act of cruelty mixed with such kindness sends shivers down my body. He laughs loudly at my shiver and grabbed roughly at the back of my dress, ripping it off of my body. He continued to squeeze me tightly around the middle, making it a struggle to breathe properly, and he laughs manically at my obvious discomfort. I have a sudden flash of him standing over me as one of those poorly dressed villains that used to star in all the silent black and white films of the twenties and thirties.

You know the villains I am thinking of. Large top hat, sinister black cape, holding a large cane in one hand, while twirling their handle bar mustaches in the other. They always have their head thrown back in perpetually evil laughter, standing over the damsel in distress, who is always tied helplessly to a railroad track. Her mouth always open in a silent scream as she awaits the train to come barreling down on her, to bring her to her inevitable death. She is always saved at the last minute by her super hero, her white knight. He always rushes in to save her from her messy end at the last minute and smites the evil villain like an avenging angel. There would be no super hero, no white knight, and no avenging angel for me. How I wished there was though.

My thoughts wander longingly to Eric and Godric. How I wish that I was with them at the moment, instead of stuck here with this abusive, psychotic, asshole. I must have moaned their names aloud whilst still in the grips of my evil villain/superhero delusion that I created for myself, because Bill growls loudly snapping at my ear and then barks with laughter. "You know," he chuckles, "you really only have yourself to blame for the situation you currently find yourself in. Do you want me to tell you the multiple mistakes you made this evening darling? First, there is the fact that you committed a very serious faux pas by drinking their blood, when you knew that you belong to ME."

He emphasizes his words by slapping the back of my head so hard I can't help but to cry out with the pain. "The second mistake amuses me to no end though. Did you know that any human who does not have a full blood bond to the vampire they currently belong to can request protection from another vampire? One that is more powerful and could step in and protect you from your current vampire master. There would have been nothing that I could have done about it if you asked, and they accepted your plea."

He laughs again, and I begin to weep, if only I had known this. "But you didn't ask did you? Because you are to fucking stupid to find out all the rules of the game you are currently playing. You will never, ever, see your precious Godric and Eric again. Now I own you. I OWN THIS ASS!!" he emphasizes each of his last words with a cruel slap, on said ass.

I feel his weight shift off of me, but before I even have time to react, I feel the sudden intrusion of him buried deep inside of me. This is not the gentle coupling we had always before committed. No, this is a violation of my very being. He pounds into me roughly, so much rougher than he ever has before. I can hear the little grunting noises he is making with each inward thrust, and I am disgusted. My stomach rolls with the sound. I'm not sure how much more I could take before I vomit all over myself and the bed that I lay on. I scream, and weep, and plead with him to stop, but he only becomes crueler with each plea that leaves my lips.

I feel my pelvis crack under his cruel thrusts and I let out a scream of pain, and he grabs my hips roughly pushing them inwards so that the crack is irritated from the pressure he is creating. Another stab of pain shoots through me and then I do lose it; I empty the contents of my stomach on the bed that lay beneath me, gagging and sputtering on the contents that are now being inhaled through my nose.

He stills suddenly and starts to caress my back and ribs almost lovingly, tickling them in feather light touches. It isn't so different from touches that he has bestowed on me before this terrible evening occurred. The sudden shift in his attitude sends my brain reeling with the contradiction. He whispers softly, lovingly, "Did you know, if done just right, you can break every rib in the body without piercing a lung or the heart." He breaks my bottom two ribs and a scream rips from my lungs, my body convulsing violently with the pain. All the while, he holds me firmly in place; I can only assume that he does this because the convulsions could cause a rib to puncture my lungs.

Although I know it would be an extremely painful death if he punctured my lung, at least it would be a release from this hell, this torture that I am now enduring. I almost pray to God that he would fuck up and kill me by mistake, by puncturing my lungs or heart. As if reading my mind he coos at me. "Don't worry sweetheart, I can always heal you if I take it too far accidently." His hands slide up and down my sides and then press firmly on my next set of ribs breaking them instantly. Another scream rips from my lips, and I feel the world swim around me, threatening to make me pass out from the pain and trauma. 'Oh,' I think to myself, 'blacking out would be lovely, right about now.'

"You know it really is too bad," he complains suddenly cutting off my thoughts and prayers of blacking out and sudden death. "That I have to give you to the queen eventually. I think I would really enjoy keeping you as a pet. Well at least now that I don't have to pretend to be all happy and in love. We could have so much fun together." I can hear the pouting in his voice and I can envision it on his face, looking very much like the little boy who has just been told his favorite dog has died. As if to cheer himself up, he says. "But, even if you are going to end up with that red headed cunt Sophie Anne, it doesn't mean that I can't have fun with you. At least until she forces me to give you to her."

He presses down on the next set of ribs breaking them instantly and I scream out to him. "PLEASE BILL, PLEASE, NO MORE. I BEG YOU. NO MORE!"

"**I AM YOUR MASTER NOW BITCH! YOU WILL LEARN YOUR PLACE. NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU. I CAN DO WITH YOU WHATEVER THE FUCK I LIKE!**"

As soon as the words escape his lips there is a thunderous crash from the front room. A deep voice that I recognize instantly flitters into my head, and I begin to cry with relief at the sound of Eric's voice. "Oh, I don't know about all of that Bill. I think we will be rescuing Sookie this evening thank you very much."

I feel Bill's weight leave my body and hear a sickening thud, of what I could only assume was Bill, being slammed into a wall. Strong, rough hands, grip my naked and abused body, rolling me gently onto my back and pulling me softly against a large muscular chest. I cry out in both pain and relief as I look up into the beautiful face of my rescuer. Eric's icy blue eyes stare down at me kindly, asking me for forgiveness for a sin he didn't commit.

I try to speak, but my voice isn't working right. I clear my throat painfully and rasp, "Godric, Eric, I ask for your protection from Bill Compton."

"Protection granted." I hear Godric say from somewhere else in the room, that I can't currently see at the moment. My heart swells with joy at the sound of those two words and I feel a small smile creep onto my face. I am amazed because I never thought I could smile again, not after this evening. But with Godric's simple words, I know joy and was grateful.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Notes:**

Okay ya'll can come out now, I know there a few of you that didn't read the last chapter because of the extremely violent nature of it. I assure you there is no real violence in this chapter and I encourage you to read the last chapter and then this one. Before any of you shoot me, Bill will get what's coming to him, just not in this chapter.

As always, I want to thank all of you, for without you the world would not come to life. Without you it would just be meaningless words on a page in cyber space. Thank you for your reviews and your adds to the favorites lists. It means the world to me. I encourage all of you to tell me what you think, good bad or indifferent. I may not always answer, but I think on every word each of you write.

Also send out love to my editor/beta Catie, without her this fic would be in far worse condition. She fixes all those little tense problems and comma issues that I have so often.

Enjoy the story, until next time my precious's

Love you all,

Lilli

**Chapter 4** (Eric's Pov)

Godric and I arrive at the suite that contains Sookie at the exact same moment. We only pause briefly to assess the situation inside. I hear her screams and pleas for mercy, and all that fucker can do is laugh. Fucking asshole. I hear Bill scream at her, telling her no one will come to her rescue, ever. That she is his, that he is her Master. I feel my blood boil in my body and my limbs tremble for action.

I look at Godric for the go ahead and he nods solemnly once at me. We both raise a foot and kick in the door. The doors don't just pop open, like they do on all those crappy cop shows Pam is forever watching, they explode into millions of pieces raining down bits of wood and sawdust all over the large living room. We rush towards the bedroom; I can smell Sookie's blood, sweat, and the unmistakable smell of vomit emanating from the bedroom. It hangs so heavy in the air it is almost palpable. I know I am not going to like what I see on the other side of that doorway. I seriously doubt my ability to control myself with Bill once I see the things he has done to her.

Apparently Godric picked up on my thoughts or emotions, and as soon as we enter the doorway, he strides towards Bill. "Oh, I don't know about all of that Bill. I think we will be rescuing Sookie this evening thank you very much," I say mockingly. The quip finished leaving my lips at the same moment that Godric snatches Bill up by the back of his neck. Godric flings him roughly across the room and into the wall off to the left of the bed. He makes the effort look like child's play. A small smile plays across my lips at the sheer power of my maker.

I turn my attention back to Sookie and it takes all my concentration, every ounce of energy, and all my years of control, to keep a level head. If I was human I would have either had a heart attack or thrown up at the sight of my beloved Sookie. _'Wait, what beloved?'_ I shake myself knowing now is not the time to question a simple thing like phrasing.

There she lay motionless; if I couldn't hear her heartbeat I would have thought she was dead. Face down, in a pool of her own vomit, she groans softly and sputters trying to get a good breath. Now that Bill is not sitting on top of her, she is able to turn her head slightly so that she can breathe easier. Almost every inch of her perfect body is covered in bruises, cuts, and scrapes. Her precious blood trickles from many of those bruises, the skin having burst open with the force of his landed blows. I can see bruises in the perfect shape of Bill's hands on her ass; I see the perfect outline of thumb prints making their way up her ribcage as he broke each rib.

My body trembles violently as I take in all of this. It isn't the worse thing I have ever witnessed, hell even inflicted, in my long life, death, whatever. But the very appearance of this girl beaten and broken in such a manner affects me in a way that I never would have anticipated. I struggle to find the word for this feeling as I approach the bed. Finally, words that I haven't used in Gods know how long flit through my head to describe my feelings; pain, sorrow, heartbreak, and loss, all of these emotions that I thought were long forgotten. One thing is for certain in my mind though. Bill is very lucky that Godric is by my side tonight; he has far greater restraint than I do. If Godric wasn't by my side I would have lost control and torn him apart, one small piece at a time, after seeing the things that he has done to Sookie. He is undoubtedly a very lucky vampire this night that is for certain; he should be kissing Godric's feet**,** for saving him from my wrath.

I kneel next to her, and as gently as I can I roll her over and pull her into my arms. I feel tears stinging at the back of my eyes when I see her beautiful face. It is worse than her back; it is almost entirely one huge bruise. Her eyes are half swollen, and there is dried blood and vomit matted into her golden locks, but somehow this goddess manages to smile up at me when she sees my face.

She tries to speak, but no words come at first; her throat is obviously in pain from the continuous screams and trauma of the night. She clears her throat roughly and barely above a whisper says, "Godric, Eric. I ask for your protection from Bill Compton." Bill must have clued her in on that little loophole, while losing his fucking mind as he beat her.

"Protection granted," Godric says stiffly, and just for emphasis, I watch happily as he pulls that coward away from the wall and slams him into it again. Dust from the plaster breaking behind his back flies into the room and floats down to the carpet like demented snowflakes or possessed glitter. Bill's eyes grow wide with shock at the realization that he is completely fucked. Good. I want to scream at him that he is fucked; at least he is if I have anything to say about it. I am sure this is how he made Sookie feel before he brutalized her, scared shitless with no hope for rescue or reprieve.

Knowing he has nothing to lose, he starts to snarl and fight against the firm grip Godric has on him. Sookie flinches in fear at the sound of the snarls being let loose into the room. That flinch costs her more than she anticipated though. A scream of pain pours out of her, her broken body unable to deal with the smallest of movements.

"Sshh, I got you Sookie, I got you. I promise he will never touch you again. Godric and I will never allow him to come near enough to do so, ever again. I promise." I repeat this as a mantra to her over and over again. Willing not only her, but also myself, to believe these words. I will never allow that twisted fuck to lay another finger on her. Ever. I run my fingers through her tangled and matted hair, not caring that there is blood, and not caring that there is vomit, sweat, and tears. I just want to soothe her, comfort her, and take away all the pain she has endured in the last half hour at the hands of someone she loved.

Bill is snarling and thrashing again against the wall, trying desperately to get to Sookie. I know if he were able, he would try to rip her from my arms. But that would never happen, I am never letting this woman go. Bill beings to scream at her, and I look up and watch the spittle fly out of his mouth in a frothy display of rabidness.

"YOU FUCKING CUNT! YOU MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET GODRIC AND ERIC TO AGREE TO PROTECT YOU, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE**.** YOU ARE MINE SOOKIE! I WILL HAVE YOU RETURNED TO ME. YES, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MINE, TO DO WITH AS I PLEASE, UNTILL I TIRE OF YOU. WHEN I HAVE YOU RETURNED TO ME, I WILL BE FINISHING WHAT WE STARTED HERE THIS EVEINING."

"YES," he laughs, "I WILL MAKE SURE TO BREAK YOU IN REAL GOOD BEFORE I HAND YOU OVER TO ANDRE AND THE QUEEN." The heavy sound of flesh hitting flesh echoes through the air as Godric slaps his face.

Sookie's body begins to shake with Bill's heated words. They are clearly weighing heavily on her mind. I can smell the fear rolling off of her, it is so thick that it fills my senses threatening to overwhelm me and send my beast to hunting. "Sshh dear one, calm yourself," I whisper to her softly. "I've got you. We've got you. He will not hurt you again. Look at me dear one." Sookie turns her chin up slightly looking me in my eyes. I pray that she allows this to work. Glamour has never worked on her before, but she needs it more than anything at the moment.

"Go to sleep for now little one. Godric and I will keep you safe. You sleep dear one, sleep deeply while we deal with Bill. When you wake we will heal you, we will take care of you. He will never harm you again. No one will ever harm you again. Godric and I will never allow it. Sleep dear one, sleep." Sookie's eyes slowly flutter closed, as she drifts off into a dreamless sleep. I sigh heavily with relief, thankful that it worked, thankful that the Gods were kind to spare her from any more pain at the hands of Bill Compton.

I stand, Sookie clutched tightly to my chest, and position her at the bottom of the bed, which is the only section that is still clean. I try hard not to jostle her too badly, fearing to further aggravate her injuries, or break the spell of glamour that I had somehow miraculously laid upon her. I slip my leather jacket off my shoulders and drape it over her naked form. I know she has to be cold and her being so exposed does not sit well with me. I straighten my body, stretching all 6'5" of my height. I turn my gaze from loving to cold as I look up at the monster that has done this to my girl.

Bill is looking at me like a slack jawed idiot. I am not entirely certain which he must find more appalling, my tender care of the girl or the fact that I was able to do what no one has been able to before, glamour her into submission. He splutters and coughs nonsensically until he finally manages to get a good grip on his brain. "But… how… how did you… what… did you just glamour her?" I roll my eyes at him, a little human habit I have picked up from Pam. Of all the things that he could be saying at the moment, one of them being 'Oh please mighty Eric don't kill me.' He chose to go with, 'did you just glamour her?' What a fucking retard.

I raise an eyebrow, my face a stone mask not revealing an inkling of my inner monologue. "Indeed," I say smugly.

"But, that's not possible! She can't be glamoured. I have been trying to for months now and that stupid bloodbag whore has never succumbed. It is one of my talents and that bitch has always resisted. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GLAMOUR HER!" Bill becomes angrier by the second and I almost laugh as Godric tightens his grip on Bill's throat.

"Well, apparently it isn't impossible because I just did it pencil dick," I laugh.

Even though Bill can barely get his words out, he persists in his rather pointless argument. "You tried before though, when I brought her to Fangtasia. That was the whole reason I brought her there in the first place, to confirm my suspicions that it couldn't be done." Bill was quickly starting to remind me of a whiny child who did not get their way.

"He did it Bill we both witnessed it with our own eyes, you should really desist in this useless line of conversation," Godric says coolly to him.

"No, NO!" Bill spits angrily. "This whole thing would have been so much easier if I could just fucking glamour her. I wouldn't have had to subject myself to the worthless charade of a relationship with her and the Queen could have acquired her months ago." Godric and I just let Bill dig the hole beneath him deeper and deeper. It is quite unfortunate that we can't just end his miserable life right this second. But we both know that if we want to end Compton we have to be smart about it. Maneuvering him into a corner where there is no possible escape.

"Well," I say, "clearly she can be glamoured because there she lay, in peaceful sleep until Godric and I wake her."

"NO, NO, NO!" Bill screams.

"This is all very interesting," Godric says, "and is most definitely going to be something my child and I will discuss at great lengths in the future. Unfortunately you will not be privy to these conversations Compton, seeing how Sookie is no longer your concern." Bill's face goes ashen with this revelation; apparently he had temporarily forgotten that Sookie was no longer his.

"She is mine," he says, but it is a halfhearted assertion.

"No, she asked for our protection and we accepted. Feel free to go to the magistrate if you feel you have been wronged, but I highly doubt he will favor you with his decision. Now, let me be very clear here because I want you to understand me perfectly." Godric pulls Compton away from the wall, forcing him down on his knees in front of him. Godric's lips pull back in a silent snarl and his fangs run out slowly. It takes all of my energy not to let my jaw drop to the floor in surprise at such an aggressive display from him.

"You are to leave my area. You will have until one hour after sunset to be out of Texas. If you are still here, I am sure you will quickly find yourself torn limb from limb for the injustices that you have done to the girl. I can assure you this will happen, since I will be ordering all of the vampires in my area tonight to hunt you down tomorrow if you do not comply. And make no mistake they are all itching to get their fangs in you. I suggest that you listen Compton. It would not be wise to go against me at this juncture, or any for that matter, ever again. I did give you fair warning before you left my nest not to harm the girl, yet you chose to ignore that warning."

Bill looks like he is going to be sick; I almost want to snicker at the thought of him being physically ill. It is rare that a vampire will vomit, but on rare occasions it does occur, and if I were in his position I would be afraid too. I am flabbergasted, astounded, and amazed at the threat in Godric's words. I haven't seen him this way in centuries. Feral, ruthless, cold-blooded, wild, and most of all, lethal. It would not be wise for Compton to cross Godric, especially with Godric's mood in this ruthless place. Godric has harmed no one in nearly four hundred years, but I know that if Bill pushed his luck he would be up on the butcher block, quite literally. The fact that he is so angry, angry enough to revert to a state that he has worked very hard to overcome, speaks volumes to me about his level of commitment to Sookie. He truly cares about her, surely as much as I do, and normally I would find the idea of another vampire interested in my Sookie disturbing, but somehow it just feels right that it would be the three of us.

Somehow Bill musters up his balls and says, "You may have her for now, but make no mistake. That COW," he points dramatically at Sookie, "is MINE! The queen will never allow either one of you too keep her."

A low rumble begins to roll out of Godric's chest and even I am scared of that sound. He slowly lifts Compton off the ground so that he is eye level with him. "Let me make one thing very clear to you," Godric hisses enunciating every syllable of his statement, as if he were speaking to a small child. I guess, in a way, he is though; next to Godric we are all children. Godric is older then the Catholic's Christ. "SOOKIE IS OURS. There is nothing, NOTHING, your queen can do about it. She is not my queen and she is not even here to defend your sorry excuse of an existence at the moment. Even if she were here, she would never be fool enough to cross me and my will. You will never touch a hair on that girl's head ever again and there is nothing you can do about it."

Before Compton even has a chance to respond to Godric's very firm statement, Godric lifts him high above his head and tosses him like a paper airplane across the room and into the wall furthest away from us. The sickening sound of flesh slapping drywall, and bones breaking echoes through the room. Godric nods towards Sookie in a clear unspoken command; I guess we are done here. I walk over to my sleeping beauty and pull her gently off the bed, cradling her to my chest lightly.

I turn on my heel and head towards the living room with its now shattered doorway that leads out of the suite. Godric and I are not even halfway across the room, when I hear Sookie mumble in her glamour-induced sleep, "You will never harm them." She waves her hand limply outwards and a flash of blinding purple light envelopes Godric and I. A loud crash echoes through the room, and I spin on my heel only to find Compton knocked out cold where he had clearly been thrown into, the now crushed**,** entertainment center.

He is clearly unconscious, but we still approach him carefully, just in case he is playing opossum. When we are standing directly above him, I am shocked to see a large piece of the shattered wooden door still clutched firmly in his hand. Clearly he had intended to stake us from behind and we somehow both missed hearing his approach.

Godric clears his throat and chuckles amusedly, "It appears our little telepath has just saved our lives."

"Indeed," I say, truly astonished by this turn of events. I look down questioningly at Sookie, wondering how she accomplished such a feat, fully glamoured nonetheless.

"It would also appear that there is more to her than meets the eye," Godric says, and all I can do is nod in agreement.

"I do not think she knows of this, whatever this is. She already thinks very poorly of herself and if she knew she could throw two hundred year old vampires across the room, like they were nothing more than a child's ragdoll, I am positive she would freak out." Godric eyes me questioningly, but says nothing.

We leave the broken Bill and the smashed suite and make our way towards Godric's private nest. We walk in companionable silence, contemplating the evening and all that occurred. After a while Godric turns to me and says, "Why would she think poorly of herself Eric? She is very gifted. She should be treasured, and she should know how special she is."

We have arrived at my Maker's home, and I contemplate his words trying to figure out how to best respond to his questions. Godric goes about opening up the house; I follow him inside and into his day chamber. I sit Sookie down on the enormous bed and look at her, contemplating her and her thoughts on the subject of her 'disability' as she calls it. "I am not entirely sure why she thinks of herself poorly Godric," I say softly.

Godric zips out of the room quickly grabbing a warm, wetted towel, and hands it to me. I gently begin cleaning up as much of the blood and vomit from her face and hair that I can. I continue our conversation as if it has never ceased. "It is just the impression I got from her in the time we have spent together. I think that this is part of the reason she took up with Compton though. He always doted on her and she ate up every complement he said like a starving child." I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh softly to myself. Sookie did not truly see herself, which was part of her whole problem.

"We have much to contemplate with this little one. I think that we will also have a lot of hard work ahead of us in both protecting her and repairing her," Godric said, contemplating the enigma that is Sookie.

I found myself suddenly unsure of everything, if we could keep her safe, if we would be able to repair the damage that Bill had done, if we could heal the old wounds that resided in her that led her to the likes of Bill in the first place, if she was worth it, and most of all if we were worthy of her love and affection. I ask, in a surprisingly childlike voice of someone who is scared of the monsters under his bed, "She is worth it?"

I look pleadingly up at Godric for an answer and he smiles at me kindly. "Oh yes, she is most definitely worth it." For a long time we just stare down at the broken, yet still beautiful form that is Sookie. She is something great that is for sure. "Enough of this morose contemplation, we must heal her."

I smile and nod in agreement. "I have a thought on how we should proceed with this."

"And that would be?" Godric beams a huge smile at me.

"I think we should put our blood into a cup for her to ingest. It will help us avoid the exchange to becoming sexual in nature."

"Agreed." It amuses me that there is no argument over whose blood she will receive. We both just know we will both contribute. Not just me, not just Godric, but both of us will give our precious blood to heal her wounds. If it were any other two vampires this may not have been possible, but Godric and I are different. We have a different kind of bond, a different kind of relationship than most makers do with their children. Most of all Sookie is a very different kind of girl.

Sure some vampires would have shared their meals a time or two with their nest mates, but Sookie isn't just a meal. I know that I want a permanent bond with her. An everlasting relationship that will never fade, and I know that Godric wants these same things as well. The three of us just fit together. We are a perfect mesh of personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. Where one falls short the others pick up the slack.

As I contemplate all of this, Godric slips out of the room and comes back in carrying a large brass chalice. It had been a very long time since I have laid eyes on that cup, but it was still as beautiful as ever, covered in intricate carvings and precious gems. I gasp audibly when I realize what he is doing; I know exactly what that cup means. "You can't be serious," I say.

"Of course I am. I would not have taken it out if I weren't sure. Just think of it as a test. If it does what I think it will, we will have a lot of my suspicions confirmed. But," he shrugs, "if it doesn't well no harm will be done, you know this. She will have just drunk from a very pretty cup. It will work though, I know it, and if it does we will need to bond with her fully very soon. Can't you feel it Eric?"

I look down at the floor, close my eyes, and nod my head in agreement. "Good, wake her," he says firmly.

I climb next to her on the large bed, stretching my body out next to hers. I prop myself up on my elbow and look down at her, lightly brushing the few locks of hair that had fallen into her eyes away. "Sookie my lover, wake so that we can heal you now." Slowly her eyes flutter and open; she looks up at me and smiles her little half sleepy smile, clearly happy to see me. My heart jumps with joy at the reaction.

"Hey," she whispers.

I smirk at her. "Hey yourself beautiful."

She tries to sit up and groans in pain, "Ugh, I feel like I was hit by a train."

I chuckle lightly at her, but we both hear Godric growl at us next to the bed. She turns her head to face him, smiles lightly, and says, "It's okay hun, it was just a joke." She pauses but Godric just continues to scowl at her quip. "You know, a joke, a way to make those around you laugh, and or**, **lighten the mood of a room considerably."

"Yes little one, I know what a joke is, but I fail to see the humor in this situation." His eyebrows furrow in irritation.

"Well," she says, "it's either laugh or cry and at the moment I would prefer laughter." Godric smiles at her lightly and nods his head in understanding. We could all use a little laughter after the evening we have had.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Notes:**

Hey everyone, so I decided to update a day early this week. I am going to try and do updates on Tuesdays from here on out, but I was too impatient to wait another day. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time out of there days to review, I also want to thank everyone who has added me to their favorites list, for either the story or me as an author. Much love to you for that. Thanks as always to my Editor/beta Catie, without her fic would be much harder to read. *cough cough* Shameless plug *cough* Okay everyone, I know that some of you are following my other fic The Dance, but I am sure that some of you had no clue I had more than one active fic going at the moment. So… show me some love and go and check it out. For thouse of you who read both fic's I bet you recognize these AN's. I know typically I write different notes for each fic, but I am being lazy this week, sue me. MWAH. Any ways, as always don't forget to leave a review, be it good, bad, or indifferent. Until next time, enjoy the chapter.

Tons of love,

Lilli

**Chapter 5**

**Sookie's POV**

Waking up in Eric's arms and not still trapped by that madman, my former beau, Bill Compton, is a huge relief. If I don't move around too much I can almost pretend that nothing has happened. Almost. I think it is time that I give myself a huge reality check on my life and the way things have been going. Right now though, I just don't want to think about it. Later, definitely later, I will need to examine things and decide what to do about, well, everything.

Godric is definitely not very happy with me when I try to make light of my current state, but really what am I supposed to do? Scream about how unfair my life is? Pout and cry and run off like a little girl? Pretend that things are 'normal' so that I can fool myself into believing that I fit in or that I am normal as well? What would any of that accomplish? Nothing. I would still be me, and my problems would still be wherever I ran to. So what is the point in behaving in such a way? Nope, I would just have to suck it up, face some hard realities, and cope with the situation that I find myself in. Just, not right this second.

I turn from looking at Godric and back to Eric; he smiles down at me warmly. God, how had I never noticed him looking at me that way? How had I never seen the love behind those piercing blue pools? How had I never noticed how truly beautiful he is? I think I have been deluding myself on a lot of things.

One of the biggest ones, and the one I had spent the last several months trying to convince myself of, is that Eric is a monster. Sure, he has his dark side, and he is capable of truly evil things, but aren't we all in a way? At least he has the excuse of being a vampire. What excuse do the rest of us have? I have never seen him treat anyone unfairly. I even had to admit, at least to myself, that Lafayette was trapped in Eric's little dungeon because he had chosen to sell V. Eric could have done so much worse to him than he did, but he didn't.

I tilt my head a little, taking in the total package that is Eric. He reminds me a bit of Angel, from that silly Buffy show. A vampire with a soul, tortured with self-hatred, for who and what he was. I almost laugh aloud when I picture Eric running around, all broody in a black trench coat, saving damsels in distress, and putting up with an insufferable snob that runs around saying stupid valley girl sayings. Somehow, I doubt Eric would ever put up with the likes of Buffy for very long.

"So, I assume that since I am awake that means ya'll are going to give me some of your blood right?" I ask Eric and Godric.

"Of course lover."

I can't help but to roll my eyes at the whole lover comment. Where does he come up with his terms of endearment? "Well, would you be so kind as to help me sit up please? I can't do it on my own yet and I would prefer not to choke."

Without a word he sort of picks me up and rocks me into a position that suits him, and me if I am perfectly being honest, with me cradled firmly against his chest. Godric takes a few steps towards me, his eyes blazing as he looks me over. There is such a mixture of emotions playing across his face so rapidly; I am having a hard time keeping up with them. When I see lust, I feel my body blush and I realize for the first time that I am still completely naked. I can't believe I am so comfortable with these two men that it hasn't even occurred to me that I am naked in front of them.

"Umm…Godric?"

He smiles kindly at me and says, "Yes little one?"

"Would it be all possible to get something to wear, something you wouldn't mind being ruined? Seeing as how I am not quite up for a bath yet, but would like to be somewhat covered." He chuckles lightly at me.

"Of course little one." He sets something down on a small table that is next to the door and slips out of the room to find me something to wear. Eric runs his fingertips up and down my arms while we wait in companionable silence, every now and then kissing the top of my head or my shoulder. The gesture is so intimate, and doesn't feel awkward in any way.

It is really quite amazing how comfortable and happy I am, with both him and Godric after such a short period of time. My analytical side is screaming at me to question all of their motives for being so kind to me, for feeling so comfortable, for allowing myself to trust them so completely. But instead of listening to that stupid voice like I had my entire life, the one that kept me away from other people, the one that allowed me to be with Bill because he was nice and 'safe,' for the first time ever I am telling my stupid self-doubts to take a hike and shut the fuck up

Godric strolls casually back into the room carrying a cream colored, button up tunic, much like the one he was currently wearing. It won't be huge on me like a dress, but it will do the trick of covering the majority of my girly bits. Godric and I are after all fairly close to the same size. He wasn't feminine by any standard but he was petite compared to most men and he definitely looked petite if I compared him to Eric. Of course everyone looked tiny next to Eric. Godric's broad shoulders would allow some extra length in the shirt and his slightly taller frame, his 5'11" compared to my own 5'5", would also help to allow the shirt to hopefully cover my rear end.

I reach out to take the shirt, not really thinking about the fact that I am injured, and I cry out when pain shoots through my ribs, hips and chest. Eric pulls me tightly to his chest, cradling me against him, burying his nose in my neck and running his fingers through my hair. All the while he is shushing me softly, until I can breathe through the pain and calm myself.

I feel his lips moving softly over my shoulder as he whispers over and over again, "I'm so sorry Sookie, I'm so very sorry." I am shocked. I'm not really sure how to react to this display from him. This smug, arrogant bastard that I almost convinced myself to hate before this trip, is actually apologizing to me. Not only is he apologizing, but he also seems genuinely upset by what happened to me and remorseful that he wasn't able to stop it all sooner. I can't quite wrap my mind around it.

Didn't I always kind of know though that there was more to Eric than met the eye? If I am being really honest with myself, and if you can't be honest with yourself in your own thoughts then where can you be, I had figured out almost immediately after meeting him that a lot of the way he behaved was merely an act. Put on to intimidate those around him to keep them all in line. He has had to survive for over a thousand years in a cutthroat world, where it was a reality to eat or be eaten, and not just some stupid saying.

You cannot survive in that kind of environment night in and night out by being all puppies, rainbows, sunshine, unicorns, and love. No, he had to be hard, cruel, and even appear to have no positive, well at least what I view as positive, emotions. Eric is a good man; I need to stop taking him for granted just because I am scared of what a relationship with him might mean I squeeze his hand, which is currently residing on my belly, gently.

"It's not your fault," I say. I look up and find Godric's eyes searching me as if he could read my very soul. I want to make sure he knows that I include him in this sentiment. "Either of you. Do you two understand me? It isn't your fault he did this to me. You both saved me and I am positive that you both got to me as soon as you could. I appreciate what the two of you did for me this evening more than I have words for. Now stop blaming yourselves and help me with this shirt." I smile up at Godric and squeeze Eric's hand again softly.

Godric hands Eric the shirt and turns to get whatever it was that he had set down on the little table. Eric gingerly slips the shirt over my arms, barely jostling me as he slides it into place. His fingers ghost down the front of my body as he quickly buttons up the shirt, and it takes all of my concentration to force myself not to react to that light touch. On the one hand it was awesome that after the tragedy I endured tonight that my body could still react this way, but on the other I was very aware of how injured I actually was, and allowing myself to shiver with desire would not be a pleasant feeling in this particular instance.

A glitter of light reflecting off of a shiny surface in my peripheral vision catches my attention. I look up to find the source of the light, only to find that it is clasped tenderly between Godric's fingertips. "What is that?" I whisper so quietly that I have to wonder if Godric and Eric actually heard me. I know that supes have extra powerful hearing, but my words came out as a small breath of sound. Almost inaudible even to me, and I had spoken them.

A huge smile spreads across Godric's face and Eric maneuvers an arm around my waist grasping the opposite hip lightly. "This is a chalice from my days as Chieftain of my tribe. Do you like it little one?"

I nod my head in the affirmative. "Good. Eric and I thought that it would be better if we gave you our blood this way, so as not to turn it into anything torrid. We want to ensure that you are completely ready when you yield to us."

I feel my anger flash through me quickly when I realizehe said 'when' and not 'if.' Damn cocky vampires. My irritation is quickly squelched though when another reflection of light, caused by Godric crawling up onto the bed, redirects my attention. I watch as Godric moves effortlessly over the mattress, stopping directly in front of me and settling himself by sitting on his claves and the heels of his feet.

I gasp in shock as I get a closer look at the goblet that caught my attention. I know that cup, and before I can stop myself I blurt out, "This has to be some kind of trick or something. I have never, ever told anyone about that cup." I point at the goblet as if to clarify which cup I mean, as if there were hundreds of other cups that just happened to be in the room with us.

Godric looks clearly confused and before he can even pose the question I say, "I have dreamt of that cup, in some capacity, every night for as long as I can remember." I can't believe that it actually exists.

Godric merely smiles at me kindly and says, "Perhaps it is fate then little one."

"Can I… I mean may I please hold it?"

"Of course little one," he says softly. I reach out with trembling fingers and grasp the goblet, interlocking my fingers with Godric's around the stem and base of it. A feeling of warmth and love washes over me and I gasp at the feeling. Eric lifts the hand, that wasn't currently grasping my hip, and places it on top of the goblet. A soft blue light engulfs the three of us and it feels like the universe let out a sigh of relief. It is as if it has been waiting for this moment in tense anticipation for millennia and now that it has occurred it can finally relax.

"Welcome home lover, we will always look out for you," Eric whispers softly in my ear. Although I know I should be bothered by his words, I just can't bring myself to be. It all just feels too perfect. It is as if the three of us had all been missing a piece of a puzzle that made up our very being. I know without a shadow of doubt that the three of us belong together. I would never leave their side and they would never leave mine. When one of us falls, the others will be there to help them back onto their feet. We will stand beside each other always.

"Now little one, we must get you healed," Godric says softly, a small smile gracing his beautiful features. And he was beautiful. He wasn't feminine in any way but his good looks were definitely softer, not like Eric's rugged sharp features. Eric was of course drop dead gorgeous, but Godric had the kind of male beauty that brought to mind tales of Adonis and Leonardo's David, more pretty than handsome. Eric and Godric were at opposite ends of the male beauty spectrum; they were like night and day.

"Take the chalice firmly in your grasp please Sookie," Godric says, interrupting my musings on his good looks. Godric pauses for but a moment to make sure that I have the cup firmly gripped between my fingers. As his hands leave the stem of the cup, I notice for the first time that it has a significant amount of weight to it. The metal is warm to the touch and the jewels that are deeply embedded throughout it are as soft as rose petals from being worn down with age.

Godric reaches behind him and pulls a dagger out of what seems to be thin air. It is the most beautiful piece of craftsmanship I have ever witnessed in a blade. It isn't like I have the opportunity to see a lot of daggers and swords and what not, but I would bet dollars to diamonds that this was the most beautiful dagger on the planet. The hilt is made of gold, but looks to be a bit tarnished from the wear and tear of time. What appears to be a dragon is winding its way up the hilt of dagger, almost as if it is cuddling and protecting the precious object it surrounds.

At the very tip of the hilt, the pommel I think it's called, the dragon's head faces up to the heavens and its mouth is thrown open in a silent roar. Clasped firmly between the dragon's teeth is a very large, very impressive, very beautiful, blood red ruby. The position of the stone and the deep color reminds me of fire escaping its lips, without all the bothersome orange to impede its seductive quality. I have always thought that fire had a seductive, sexy quality to it, but whenever I stand in front of a fire I always think that it would be much more beautiful if the fire was pure in color.

Eric lifts his hand from the cup and turns his wrist from flat to sideways, and Godric mirrors his movements with the opposite hand and wrist. I realize suddenly that Godric is going to cut both of their wrists; I'm not sure why it has not occurred to me before now. The blood that will heal me had to leave their bodies somehow and I suddenly don't want them harming themselves in any way. Before I even have an opportunity to voice my objections though, Godric quickly slices up Eric's extended wrist and then down his own. The movement is so quick that the first drops of their blood fall into the cup at the exact same moment. Perhaps Godric did it this way intentionally, I really wasn't sure, but it was impressive to say the least.

I watch in silence as their blood slowly flows from their veins filling the cup. It trickles from them at an almost agonizingly slow pace and I am reminded of the time that I had tried making molasses cookies with Gran one year. Jason, for some unknown reason, got it in his head to stick the molasses in the fridge. It took forever to get out the proper amount of the thick, sticky liquid to make the darn cookies. Finally after what felt like an eternity, their wounds slowly come to a close and the trickle of blood ceases.

Eric and Godric, moving in unison as if rehearsed, bring their hands down, gently grab one of my own, and guide the cup to my lips. As the first drop of the concoction passes over my tongue I am almost overwhelmed by a burst of flavor that explodes along my senses. When I had their blood previously, while trying to save their lives at the nest, I noted the unique flavors that made up their blood. I had however been so busy that I did nothing more but take note of it and move on.

Now though, in the privacy of Godric's bedchamber, with the both of them pressing so closely to me, I savor every last drop. I can distinctly taste both of them in the blood concoction, and their flavors combine so perfectly to form what I could only imagine Ambrosia tastes like. Godric's warm spicy flavors reminds me of hot Chai tea. All of that lovely ginger, cinnamon, star of anise, and just a hint of nutmeg that always warms me down to my toes, with just the smallest bit of heavy cream.

Eric's flavor is entirely different, and unlike anything I have ever tasted before. It has the distinct taste of warm clover honey, combined with a plethora of different berries. Not those crappy berries they sell in the store either, but good berries picked fresh from the vine. They always taste so much better to me when I pop them in my mouth right off the vine on a hot summer's day. I can taste the tangy sweetness of blackberries, the warm subtle flavors of marion and alder, and just a small tinge of raspberries. All of this interlaced with just a tinge of hoppy flavor that reminds me of good red ale.

I would have thought that the two contrasting flavors that made up the very essence of Godric and Eric would clash and taste horrible when combined, but it does things to my senses that make me feel like I am drinking liquid fire. I gulp down every last drop of the heavenly liquid and greedily lick away the insignificant residue that still lingers within the cup. Pulling the cup away from my mouth I lick and smack my lips in satisfaction. Godric's dark chocolate eyes glow in satisfaction, as he watches me take one long swipe across my bottom lip.

I feel the slow familiar burn of orgasm slowly creep up my body, weighing me down, and growing rapidly by the second. My head falls backwards against Eric's firm muscular chest and a loud moan escapes my lips as the orgasm quickly reaches its peak. My eyelids close as I relish the impending sweet release and just as I am about to reach the crescendo, I feel Godric and Eric sink their fangs deep into my neck, on opposite sides. With the first pull of my blood, my orgasm bursts forth and I scream their names for the entire world to hear. I want everyone to know who has brought me to such heights of passion, without ever laying a single finger on me. With the second pull I feel them both shudder against me and I know that they too have experienced the same sweet release.

They pull away at the exact same moment, taking their time licking the matching marks they have bestowed on me. When they are finished they each rest their heads on one of my shoulders, and the three of us just sit there wrapped up in each other's arms. Waiting patiently for my breathing and heart rate to return to normal, we bask in the afterglow that washes over us from this most amazing experience. I feel like I can finally form semi-coherent sentences and say, "Wow… that was..."

Before I can even finish my thought, both Godric and Eric cut me off and say, "I'm so sorry Sookie," at the exact same moment. I can't help but to giggle. They are apologizing for giving me the most amazing sexual experience of my young life. I can't believe it.

Godric pulls away from my shoulder and looks at me; he has a stern yet troubled look on his face. "I really don't see anything funny about this. The whole reason we wanted you to drink from the chalice was to avoid the situation from becoming sexual."

I laugh again lightly and reach up smoothing away the worry lines that are forming between his eyebrows. Does he always scowl this much? "I have never felt anything more amazing in my life and you're apologizing for it? You both have got to admit that's kind of funny." Godric scowls at me again, opening his mouth to form another protest. "Yes, yes," I say cutting off his thought and waving my hand dismissively at him. "I know, the timing isn't exactly perfect, but what's done is done. It isn't like we had actual sex and I guarantee that if I didn't have broken ribs and a whole slew of bruises right now, I would be having you and Eric for dinner and dessert," I giggle again.

A huge smile spreads across his face; he is clearly very pleased with my openness and willingness to pursue some kind of sexual relationship with them. After all that I have been through tonight and the last several nights, I have to admit I am a bit surprised myself, but what can I say? Eric and Godric are different. Eric kisses my shoulder lightly and says, "Those broken ribs and your other injuries are the only things stopping me as well lover. You're getting off easy, at least this time." I couldn't help myself but to laugh again, and shake my head lightly at Eric's playfulness.

I open my arms wide and Godric crawls back against me, resting his head over my heart and wrapping his legs around both Eric and me. We sit for a long time in comfortable silence, simply enjoying being wrapped in each other's arms and the perfect intimacy of it all. I wish more than anything in the world that nothing will come and take this feeling, this moment, away from us. I have never felt such a feeling of completeness before and I want it to go on forever. I am completely and utterly happy and safe, and it feels wonderful.

Godric, being the responsible one, breaks the spell that has fallen over us first, by saying, "Little one, I think you need to rest. You have had a long and trying couple of days and your body needs time to recover from what has happened. Our blood may work miracles, but it still takes time." He reaches up and strokes my cheek gently; it is a very tender and loving gesture. Eric manages to work his fingers under my shirt and softly strokes my abdomen. I feel my eyes growing heavy and my mind begins to wander over all the events that have occurred over the last few days.

Flashes of Bill standing over my beaten body with his head thrown back in laughter, race across my thoughts and suddenly my body tenses dramatically. I feel the hot tears burning at the back of my eyes and I clear my throat roughly to force them away and speak without a quiver in my voice. "I think that I would like a bath before I go to sleep. Do you two think you can help me in and out of the tub?"

Eric kisses my temple lightly and says, "Of course lover." He lifts me up off the bed and carries me towards what I can only assume is the bathroom, following behind Godric. While Godric busies himself filling the tub and adding various bath salts and essential oils to the water, Eric helps me attend to my 'human needs.' It embarrasses me to no end that Eric is tending to me in such a way and I try to protest but find my arguments quickly rebuked. Eric just shrugs and says, "It is all a part of caring for you love. Let us take care of you. There is nothing to be embarrassed about."

All I can do is nod in acceptance; his gesture moved me. It is very sweet, and what I would have said is that it is out of character for him, but perhaps I have just never looked at him clearly before. I guess this isn't the first time I have had thought that this evening. He helps me remove the now ruined shirt that Godric leant to me and then helps me brush my teeth. When he does this I almost yell at him that I am not a child after all, but he gives me a look that speaks volumes about how much this simple act means to him.

My protests die instantly before they even make it to my lips. By the time he is done the tub is filled and he picks me up gently, like I am made of spun glass, and lowers me into the bath. The hot water covers every inch of me and I feel my body's tensions instantly start to slip away.

"We will leave you to relax little one," Godric says softly. I notice Eric giving him a death glare; he is clearly unhappy with the idea of leaving me alone for any length of time. Godric just stares at him and I can see Eric's shoulders slump slightly at his acceptance of Godric's statement.

Eric being Eric though adds his own little rebellion to the moment. "But, if you need anything, ANYTHING, just call for us. We will be just outside the door."

I nod my head and say, "thank you" softly to them. They just smile, nod, and leave the room, pulling the door shut behind them. I close my eyes and let the soothing hot water do its job, washing away all my stress and tension that has been accumulating for the last seventy-two hours. The combination of lavender, rose, and just a hint of earthy sandalwood, relax my mind perfectly.

Unfortunately though, my mind always does its sorting out of things past and present while I am relaxing in a tub. I am not sure why I can always sort out life's great mysteries whilst in a shower or bath, but it seems that although my body relaxes my mind goes into overdrive. I have always perceived it as the time when I can view things with the most clarity, and see things as they really are.

Bill's evil words from the evening begin to twist and swirl in my mind. Everything I thought I knew for certain was indeed an elaborate ruse. He never loved me; from his actions it seemed to me that he could barely tolerate me. He was only around me because he was ordered to do so by this uppity queen of his, who had her eye on acquiring me. He had no intention of being with me forever, and I had spent so many hours dreaming and planning our happily ever after. He thought of me as nothing more than dog shit on the bottom of his shoe that he had unfortunately stepped in and now had to deal with. No, it was worse than that. I was a toy, a plaything, to be used, abused, and cast aside at his fancy. I feel a terrible pain of realization rip through me and I know that he not only broke my body, but my mind, spirit, and heart as well with his terrible actions.

I ignore the pain in my aching body and curl up in a little ball, in the middle of the huge tub. I clutch my knees tightly to my chest as the tears flowing freely down my face, and I try to sob as quietly as possible. The last thing I want is for Eric and Godric to hear me have my miniature breakdown. Lord knows that they would not want to deal with a weeping woman. No, I will have a good long cry and fall apart somewhere they will never have to witness it. I will try my damndest to be put back together when I am in their presence.

I yearn though so badly to lean on them, but why would they even want to do that for me? If the man I thought I loved couldn't stomach me, how could two strong, powerful, beautiful men like Eric and Godric deal with me, regardless of how close we felt earlier? I close my eyes and begin to rock myself gently as I ponder this. What am I going to do? I don't have anyone.

Before I am too far into my cycle of self-doubt and despair I feel the water around me slosh in small waves, pushing my limp body to and fro. I open my eyes and see that Eric and Godric have decided to join me in the tub, apparently. Before I can get angry or freak out, they jump into the conversation I have been having with myself as if they had been there and actively participating in it the entire time. "Compton was a fool little one," Godric says softly, brushing a few of my tears off of my face.

"We will always be here for you lover, you don't even have to ask. You will just turn around and see us standing here supporting you," Eric smiles at me, and pulls my damp locks out of my eyes. Godric pulls me just as I am, curled up in a tiny ball, and tucks me into his chest and lap, whispering soft words into my ear in some language I don't understand. Eric reaches forward and pulls us both into his large arms rocking us slightly and kissing the crown of my head softly.

At this point I don't care if they look down on me for being weak. Wrapped in their arms I feel I have to let it all out. I let it all go and sob loudly at the injustice of it all. Cuddled firmly between my two vampires I cry for everything I have lost in my life. Every hurt that has been pushed upon me, everything that I have lost, I cry and cry until there are no more tears left.

For the first time I feel the burden of it all lifting off of my shoulders. Yes, all those memories, all that hurt is still there, but it feels lighter now. Having these two amazing men, these two Atlases to help bear the weight of the world, makes my life a little easier. Slowly my eyes grow heavy and I drift off into a dreamless sleep. I don't even notice when they take me out of the tub and lay me down in the large bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes:

Warning, this chapter contains strong sexual content and activity. Please if you are offended by this do NOT read this chapter. Also, this chapter is much longer than what I typically put out, this is not going to be standard, let's just say I was extremely inspired. ;-)

All right I know I said Tuesdays would be update day, but I just couldn't resist updating early. I am really excited to see all of your reactions to this chapter. I was so excited that I couldn''t wait another day. I have been sitting on this chapter ready to go for 4 days already. 24 more hours seemed like death to me. hehe. I can't promise that I will do Mondays every week, but next week I definitely will. Seeings how the next chapters (for this story and my other story The Dance *cough shameless plug cough*) are already in my editors hot little hands getting poured over for errors.

As always, a huge thanks to all of you who took the time to review my work. It makes my day and makes this writer very proud of herself. Don't forget to do it again by letting me know what you think, be it good, bad, or indifferent.

Much love from the west coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 6:**

Sookie's POV

I slept in an in-between state for some indeterminable amount of time, I'm not really awake, but I not really fully asleep either. Every now and then I would catch tidbits of quietly murmured conversations that I instinctually knew came from Eric and Godric. Although I could never quite grasp what they were saying, it was like being underwater and hearing the muffled sounds from above. Better yet it was like one of those darn Charlie Brown specials my brother used to make me watch as a kid, where all of the adults that spoke sounded just like a slur of murmurs strung together.

Being aware and unaware all at the same time is quite liberating in some ways. I must admit that I have never felt so at peace. It is truly amazing. I knew when they had taken me from the tub. I knew when they carried me into the bedroom being extra methodical in making sure I was dry and not chilled. I was aware as one held me while the other combed out my hair and pulled it into a loose braid that trailed down my spine. I was aware as they dressed me in another soft linen shirt, and I was aware as they gently placed me in the center of the large bed we previously sat upon. I let myself drift in this in-between state for some time, reveling in the contentedness that I find here.

They both lay with me for a while, holding me gently and whispering softly to each other and to me. I am finally drifting off into a deep sleep when I become suddenly aware that they have left the bed. Fear grips my chest that they have abandoned me, that Bill is going to come and take me again, and that this mysterious queen they spoke of is on their heels to ensnare me in some wicked web. I sit up in sheer panic, my heart pounding in my chest so ferociously, I can feel it in my teeth. A scream rips from my lips, as my eyes scan the darkened room looking for my unknown and unseen enemies.

Godric and Eric are back in the bedroom within moments sitting beside me, my scream barely having had time to quiet in the echoing space. They hush me gently, and try to calm my sudden panic at being alone. I throw myself at Godric's waist, begging him in between ragged sobs, "Please… please… don't go. Don't leave me. Either one of you, I can't bare it. Please."

"Little one are you sure?" Godric asks quietly as he strokes my hair. "I really think it would be best if you have more time to deal with all that has happened, before we join you in a bed."

"As remiss as I am to leave you lover, I have to agree with my maker on this. I think it is too much too soon for you."

I pull away from Godric's waist and look them both in their eyes and see only their complete sincerity and concern. I laugh loudly at both of them and throw my hands up in the air. "MEN!!!" I proclaim angrily pointing at the both of them to get my point across. "You know I'm not askin' ya'll to have sex with me. I am just askin' for ya'll to share a bed with me. I just… I just don't want to be alone. I need you, the both of you. Please, I need ya'll to hold me."

Their faces soften and without another word they strip and climb into bed with me. Godric on my left and Eric on my right, I try not to blush as I take in their suddenly very naked bodies. After all I asked them to join me in bed, and it isn't like we weren't naked in the tub together earlier. But at the time it hadn't really felt like a sexual situation to me. I'm not stupid, I know that being naked together in a tub could turn sexual, just as much as being naked in a bed, but when the three of us were in the tub it was all about them comforting me.

I also always viewed sharing a bed with someone as a much more intimate act than simply sharing a shower or a bath. I was never really sure why I felt that way, I just always did. It seems much more personal to share the space that you sleep in, somehow. At the moment I don't have any desire to have a sexual experience, but the potential and temptation are much more prevalent with us sharing a bed. I try to push that thought as far back into my mind as possible, as these two gorgeous men join me to sleep for the day.

They wrap themselves around me, in a tight cocoon of tenderness**.** Eric wraps himself snuggly first, as he scoots low on the bed, his head resting on my belly just below my ribs, his arm draping diagonally across me and gripping my thigh lightly on the opposite side, and his leg folding over and entwining my leg that is closest to his body. Godric rests his head gently over my heart, his arm resting across my ribs and coming to a stop with his hand resting gently on Eric's head, his leg entwine with mine, much the same as Eric's. Eric lifts his hand and then drapes it across both our thighs lightly, caressing us both with soft, soothing movements. I rest my left arm across Godric's broad shoulders and absentmindedly play with Eric's hair with my right hand. I sigh contentedly; this is perfect, this is right.

"Night, sleep tight**.** Don't let the bed bugs bite**,**" I whisper softly into the dark, with a small smile on my face. I used to say that to Jason every night before we went to sleep, and it felt nice to have someone to say it too again.

"The only thing doing any biting around here is the two big, bad, scary, vampires**,**" Eric says playfully and nips softly at my belly**.** I squeal slightly with laughter and surprise at his little love nip. "Just let those bed bugs try and bite me. They would be in for a rude awakening, to say the least."

I laugh loudly at Eric's sudden silliness, never since meeting him would I have ever thought of him as 'silly,' Godric even chuckles lightly at Eric's playfulness. "Goodnight my lover, sleep well." He kisses my belly softly, in the exact same spot he had previously bitten.

"Good night my precious little one, sweet dreams**,**" Godric says softly and kisses the spot above my heart just as gently as Eric had.

I squeeze them both gently and say, "Thank you, both of you, so much, for everything." I know that they respond to me, but I don't really hear them. I just drift off contentedly into peaceful oblivion, wrapped in the arms of my two strong, lovelyvampires**,** feeling completely cherished and adored for the first time in my, what feels like, very long life.

I slowly start to awaken to a very painful bladder, screaming at me to get my ass out of the bed and tend to its needs. Cracking open my eyes, I notice that I am in the exact same position that I fell to sleep in, tucked securely between my two vampires. None of us have moved an inch during the day; of course I wasn't entirely sure that vampires could move about during their sleep. For all intents and purposes they died when the sun rose, so they wouldn't be moving about a whole lot. My bladder let out another little yip to get my attention, so I figured I better get my butt in gear. The sooner I got it over with the sooner I could return to my nice snug bed.

I look down at Godric and Eric resting peacefully on me, and try to work out how I am going to get out of this bed without disturbing them. I reach down and grab a hold of Eric's shoulder, pushing slightly to try and roll him onto his back, but he doesn't move an inch. Damn. I push harder and still he doesn't budge. He is just too heavy**,** and with the position I am laying in there is no way to get enough leverage to move him. Maybe, if I can move Godric, I will have enough wiggle room to work my way out from underneath him. I turn to Godric and try to roll him onto his back, again with no results. Double Damn. I don't know why the thought hadn't occurred to me before we went to sleep that I might actually wake up before them and need to get out of the bed.

I raised my head as far as I could, and look around the room for a clock. Maybe I could wait it out until they arose for the night? I can't get a good look at the nightstands that are next to the bed **- **that is where I would keep a clock **-** but even if there was a clock there I wouldn't be able to get a good enough look at it, being that I can't lift my head and shoulders more than a few inches. I glance around the room, hoping that Godric perhaps has another clock somewhere in the room. I mean I wouldn't have more than one clock, but maybe he would.

"Ah ha, yes!" I mutter aloud, finding exactly what I am looking for directly across from the foot of the bed. A large analog clock hung on the wall, and it seemed to be quite extravagant in appearance from what I could see, and there were intricate carvings and filigree all over the outside of it. I squint my eyes slightly, trying to make out the time in the dim light. Damn, it is only 12:30 p.m., they weren't going to be up for hours yet.

Maybe I can go back to sleep? I close my eyes and try to fall back into a peaceful slumber. I try desperately not to think of rivers, waterfalls, and dripping faucets. The pressure in my bladder increases and I squeeze my eyes tighter trying to count sheep. I get to ten before I finally give up and decide there is no way that I am falling back to sleep. I have to get out of this bed. I wiggle and squirm trying to work myself upwards and out of their arms, an inch at a time. It is slow going, but at least I am making some progress.

"Sookie," Godric's sleepy voice says. I scream in reaction to the sound, not expecting to hear anyone speaking to me. It took a few seconds for my brain to click into place telling me to calm down**;** it's only Godric.

"How are you awake?" I ask, whispering softly, as if it is extremely important to keep my voice low, like you would in a church or a library.

"I need very little sleep and can rise during the day after just a few hours, but what are you doing little one?"

"Well, I am trying, quite unsuccessfully I might add, to get out from underneath the two of you." I huff**.** I was exasperated and tired from working myself even partially free.

He chuckles softly, "I can see this, but why are you trying to leave the bed?"

"Oh," I scrunch my face softly trying to find a polite way to phrase my response. "I need to, umm, powder my nose."

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Little one, can you not wait until we arise for the evening to apply your makeup?"

"Ughh," I huff, "no I need to… you know… tend to my human needs." I wave my hand in a small circle hoping he would catch my meaning.

He thought for a moment and a small smirk curved up the corners of his mouth when he finally put two and two together. That look stank of a similar look that Eric is always giving me; perhaps this is where he got it from in the first darn place. "Oh, I see, and you are currently stuck between Eric and I and are unable to remove yourself without all the wiggling."

"Yes, yes." I say exasperated. "Are you going to help me get free or not?" I am starting to get extremely irritated.

"Sorry, sorry," he laughs softly, "I must admit that I am a bit mischievous when I first wake." He sits up and pushes on Eric's shoulder, easily rolling him onto his back. Ughh, friggin vampires and their super strength. "Go on little one tend to your needs." He kisses my forehead lightly and lays back down. He could have at least gotten out of the bed to allow me to climb out, but no, mischievous my hinny. I think devilish is more the word he should have used in that sentence. I climb over the top of him to get to the edge of bed and I feel a sharp little slap on my rear.

I yelp slightly and glare down at him. "What was that for?"

"I couldn't resist." He shrugs. Yep, definitely devilish.

"Ughh, men." I mutter to myself, as I hop of the bed the rest of the way and pad across the room to tend my now very painful bladder.

I take care of my 'human needs' and go to the sink to wash my hands. Drying my hands on the small towel, I am startled by my reflection in the huge vanity mirror. There isn't a single trace of Bill's outburst, escapade, pummeling, whatever you want to call it, left on my face. I am truly amazed.

Vampire blood**,** it does the body good. I chuckle lightly, picturing a huge bill board with a little kid all lit up and shining like a beacon, a bright red mustache across her top lip, smiling at the world with her missing front tooth, and holding up a large glass of vampire blood. I snicker again; I am spending too much time with vampires, because my sense of humor is definitely taking on a darker tone.

I walk back into our bedroom, still laughing to myself with various celebrities dancing in my head to help promote the new 'vampire blood, it does a body good' campaign. I almost start drooling as a picture of a very sexy Vin Diesel pops in my head, wearing nothing but his blood mustache and a smile. If the VRA, or the Vampire Rights Association as most know it, did some marketing like this the FOTS would be run into the ground faster than they could say 'Dracula who?'

I had to climb over Godric again in order to get back into my spot. I am about to roll into my spot when I look down at Godric, and my breath catches in my throat, as I take in his beauty for the first time. It isn't like I hadn't noticed how handsome he was in the past, but I had never really just stopped and looked at him, appreciating him for the handsome man that he is.

I straddle his waist, suddenly glad that he is very dead for the day, otherwise my sitting in this position could become quite heated very quickly. I run my fingers delicately over every crease, crevice, edge, and mound on his face. Memorizing each feature to memory as if I am going to wake up tomorrow and have him, this, everything all be a dream. My fingers glide down his strong jaw, over his slender neck, across, his broad shoulders, over his well defined biceps and the tenderly over his chest muscles. My body begins to react to this very intimate act, and it doesn't matter that he is asleep**;** my body wants him, I want him.

"Little one, if you don't stop, I am not going to be held responsible for my actions." I shriek in surprise**.** Why oh why had I forgotten that he could wake up during the day**?**

"Umm… Godric… I'm… it's just that…" I mumble and my body squirms at being caught.

He grabs my hips rough and firm, yet gentle and sweet all at the same time, to hold me in place, pulling me tighter against his now stirring erection. I moan loudly, my head rolling back in a wanton display at the potential that is now between my thighs. Without a thought in my head, I lean forward, capturing his lips with mine, nibbling, sucking, licking the soft curves, begging for him to deepen the kiss, begging him to make more out of this moment. His mouth parts, granting silent permission for me to explore further. I quickly take him up on his offer, gliding my tongue past teeth, massaging his awaiting tongue with mine. We slowly fall into a rhythm, a slow sensuous dance, it isn't hurried, or pushing for dominance over the other. It is simple and perfect; it is like we had been doing it for years, a well choreographed number that brought the right amount of excitement with slow tenuous strokes.

His hands begin the slow pattern of squeeze, release, caress, on my ass and every time his gentle fingers caress me, I twist my hips just slightly. Grinding him into me gently, we haven't even done much and I am already so close, so quick. I pull back slightly and gaze into his dark chocolate eyes. "So close," I whisper, "only a kiss and you have me so close."

His hands slid up, grasping my waist softly and flipped me over, pressing me firmly into the mattress. "Are you sure you are ready for this little one?"

"Yes, please Godric, I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life," I beg.

He kisses me again, only this time, there is a restrained power behind it, firm and demanding, making me feel more like a woman than I ever have. His hands press firmly into my flesh, harder and deeper, his hips swivel roughly grinding against me in eager motion. I want to cry out, beg for release, scream my pleasure to the heavens, but all I can do is moan into his mouth. He eagerly eats up every single moan, as if it provides him nourishment, sustenance, as if it were the very air he breathes and the magic that gives him life

He pulls away from my lips, looking down at me with a wild hunger burning behind his eyes. I can almost see a fire dancing behind them and a shiver runs down my spine with that look. A look that is all male, a look that says very clearly, I am in charge and I have every intention of ravaging every nook and cranny that makes up your body. He grinds into me once, harder than before, my lips part and loud moan tumbles from them. "Sshh," he whispers softly into my ear, nipping it gently between his teeth. "Not unless I say, bite your lips if you have to, but stay quiet." I nod once in compliance.

He begins to rock his hip in a steady rhythm against me and it takes all my will power not to cry out. I bite my lip roughly, the taste of pennies floods my mouth, and a low growl escapes Godric's lips. Reaching out, he grabs the collar of the shirt I had been sleeping in, his shirt that he had so lovingly dressed me in, and tears it from my body as if it is made of tissue paper. "Beautiful," he says huskily, as he runs his fingertips over every inch of my now exposed skin. His hand rests gently on my breast and he leans forward. I can feel his cool breath tickling my ear and ghosting over my throat.

"Don't make a noise." He nips at my throat gently as he tweaks my nipple in unison with his bite. Oh, how I want to scream, him asking me makes the urge that much greater. I bite down on my lip harder and my head begins to thrash in the effort to comply with his desire. His grinding movements increase and the rhythm of his fingers on my nipple match his well placed thrusts.

"Now little one, now, cum for me right NOW!" My lips part in a silent scream, as my body is forced to comply with his demand. Thrown over the edge, and onto the other side, I had never experienced anything so powerful before. Even though my body should be clearly sated and relaxed, I could feel another orgasm threatening on the edge of my consciousness.

Without even realizing it, Godric picks me up and has us across the room and firmly braced against the far wall. "Such a good girl**,**" he says softly, positioning himself at my entrance. "You listen so well, and your body sings for me." He pulls my hips down, thrusting me upon him. My head flies back hitting the wall hard behind me.

He finds a steady rhythm, pushing into me hard and deep, as he lifts my hips and drops me back down on him over and over again. I am trying so hard to listen to him, to obey his wish to remain silent. This is different though, this is a whole new level of ecstasy and I am having trouble containing myself. I cling to him desperately, digging my nails into his shoulders and allowing my head to hit the wall, trying to do something, anything, to concentrate enough to keep myself from screaming for him.

"Do you want to scream for me little one? Do you want to call out my name, as I push your perfect little body into ecstasy?" he growls into my ear.

I couldn't find the words; I knew if I let any sound come out it would just tumble into an endless symphony of moans, screams, and pleas. I nod in affirmative, begging with my body language for him to allow me the pleasure.

His entire body stills, and no matter how hard I try to move my hips to continue our interaction, he holds them firmly not allowing me to move a muscle. "Say it little one. Tell me you want to moan my name, beg me to let you."

"Please Godric, please let me moan for you." I beg, my voice trembling with my need.

"Do it, scream for me Sookie." He pounds into me, rougher than before and I obey him completely. I scream, and moan, whimper, and beg, calling out his name, and thanking God for every ounce of pleasure Godric is bestowing upon me.

I feel the fire rise up within me, threatening to consume me from the inside out, with the pleasure that is rocking me to my very soul. Just when I don't think I can take it any longer, he whispers in my ear roughly**,** "Now Sookie, now." I throw my head back as he sinks his teeth into my throat, the warm wash of my orgasm pours out as the cool rush of his own orgasm rushes in. The overwhelming sensations threaten to be too much, and I feel darkness creeping at the edges of my vision.

Godric chuckles lightly and says, "Breathe little one, breathe." I take a long ragged breath and I almost laugh at the absurdity of it. I hadn't even realized I had not been breathing; holding my breath because I am so overwhelmed with pleasure is entirely new for me.

Godric cradles me to him, kissing my forehead softly, and walking us back to the bed. After we have settled in, him spooning in behind me, kissing the nape of my neck occasionally and wiping the small locks of hair that were sticking to my forehead away, he says softly, "I will never let you go little one. We just fit together too perfectly." He kisses me again at the base of my neck, sending small shivers down my spine.

Pulling the blanket up around us, making sure I am tucked in firmly, he says**,** "Sleep now little one. Sleep and have beautiful dreams." And that is just what I did**.** I slowly drift back to sleep, completely exhausted and content.

"Sookie," I feel the gentle brush of fingertips across my face and I slowly start to come awake. "Lover, it is time to wake." I stretch my body and revel slightly in the pleasant soreness left over from my earlier escapades with Godric. Again I feel the gentle caress across my forehead and cheek, accompanied by Eric's soft voice. "Lover, I know you are awake. Open your eyes. It is time for us to prepare for the night."

My eyes flutter open and I see Eric smiling down on me softly. His face is inches from mine and there is nothing but tenderness behind his eyes. I smile up at him and he kisses my forehead. "Hey honey**,**" I say quietly, my voice so full of happiness I feel like it is going to burst from my fingertips. Taking a quick look around the room I notice that Eric and I are alone. "Where's Godric?"

"He had some things he had to attend to before we set out tonight. He left us here all alone." Eric wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and I laugh at his brazenness.

His smile grows and I can see the love behind his eyes. He looks at me for a long moment and then his lovely expression turns into a frown. "Sookie, why do you call me that name? Is honey not a sugary concoction made by bees that humans use to sweeten things?"

I couldn't help but to laugh**.** "Yes Eric it is, but I use it with you as a term of endearment. You call me lover and you don't see me complaining. It's a pet name**.** You do know what a pet name is, right?" Maybe he had never used a pet name before. I would have thought otherwise, what with him calling me lover all the damn time.

"Of course I know what a pet name is, but why do you call me honey? I do not think I like this endearment. I most certainly do not fit that description, while you, on the other hand, do fit the description of lover. Come up with another term of endearment for me," he commanded. At first I am appalled that he is ordering me around, but the look of seriousness on his face makes me want to laugh. He is so stern and upset by the idea of being called honey.

"First, it doesn't really work that way, you don't get to choose what your partner calls you as a term of endearment**.** And second, I do not fit the description of your lover. We have not had sex." Eric opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water and I wave off whatever smart ass remark he is about to make. "And if you push me you will have no chance of becoming my lover any time in the foreseeable future." His mouth snaps shut quickly with a very loud click of teeth.

"Now, since we are new to this," I wave my finger back and forth between the two of us, indicating our relationship, or whatever this was between us**,** "I will acquiesce to your request and we can try out different pet names, until you find one that you like. Agreed?" I fold my arms over my chest and wait while he visibly weighed his options in his mind.

He nods once and says, "Agreed."

"Good." He leans forward and pecks my lips softly and I smile at him. I think about a few different names**.** "Hmmm… there's darling, dearest, or sweetheart?" I ask, counting them off on my fingers as I went.

He shakes his head roughly, "No, no, and seriously? Bill used to call you that all the time and every time he did my skin would crawl. Besides, I definitely do not want to be reminded of Bill every time you address me."

"True, I used to shutter when he would call me that as well, but I just want to give you all of your options." I tap my chin lightly in contemplation. "Hmmm… baby?"

A stern look crosses his face, and if I didn't know any better I would say he was offended. "Sookie," uh oh my name and not lover, he is definitely offended. "I am over one thousand years old**.** I am by no means a baby of any kind. I am all man!"

I really want to snicker at that, I mean, could he be any more caveman? "Well slap your chest and call me Jane."

"What?" he says, obviously baffled and missing the reference completely.

"Nothing, never mind, ummm… babe?"

"That is hardly better than baby, now is it?" He scoffs. "It implies the same thing that I am but a child, or worse a pig of some sort**.**"

"Precious?"

"What do you take me for, some nancy boy parading around in tights that sings or worse**,** some mutated hobbit who pines away for a lost treasure?"

I laugh softly at that, "Oh I know, this one's good, and it's so cute. Pooh Bear." I smile largely at him and he clearly is becoming more and more frustrated.

"I am definitely not a child's loving, cuddly, dim witted, honey eating, plaything. Be SERIOUS!!!"

I hold my hands in front of me in surrender. "Okay, okay, umm… Boo Boo Kitty Fuck?"

"**SOOKIE**! Where on Earth did you learn such a phrase and why on Earth would you wish to call me such a vile, un-lady-like term?"

I shrug and simply say, "Kevin Smith."

"Who is this Kevin Smith and why have you allowed him to corrupt you?"

"Seriously, you know about _The Labyrinth_, _Lord of the Rings_, and friggin Pooh Bear, but you don't know who Kevin Smith is?"

"Those are different, they are institutions. Who is this Kevin Smith? I will hunt him down and teach him a lesson for teaching you such obscene terms."

I snort with a mixture of laughter and disbelief at him. "I would hardly call Pooh Bear an 'Institution' but hey, whatever you have to tell yourself to get through the night is no skin off my nose." I laugh lightly. "And Kevin Smith is one of the funniest, most talented, most brilliant writer/director/actors of our era. I must admit I am a bit of fan girl for his chubby, adorkable butt. I bet he wouldn't mind being called Pooh Bear." I smile.

"I do not have to tell myself anything… fan girl… Pooh Bear… Kevin Smith!" He sputters nonsensically.

A huge grin spreads across my face**.** I don't think I have ever seen him so flustered before. "Being called honey doesn't seem all that terrible at the moment. Now does it? **HONEY**!" I snicker wickedly and his eyes narrow down to mere slits at my comment.

"Oh, you are an evil, wicked woman." I snort again at that, he kind of asked for it. I mean really what did he expect? Demanding that I change his pet name, the very idea is ludicrous and arrogant. "Do you know what happens to wicked women lover?"

The mirth of the moment drains from my face and I watch him raise his eyebrow questioningly. "What?" I ask softly almost afraid to know.

He leans closer to me as if we are sharing a conspiracy of some sort, lowers his voice to barely more than a whisper, and says, "The typical punishment is they get tickled within an inch of their life until they beg for mercy and then they get a nice hard spanking." He winks at me.

"You wouldn't dare." I narrow my eyes at him in disbelief.

He cocks his eyebrow again. "Really?" He says, with that damn assured, cocky look, plastered all over his face. "Is that a challenge?"

I jump into action and roll off the bed quickly running away from him and around the room, laughing and giggling the whole time. He follows close on my heels laughing loudly as well, his warm laugh reverberating down my spine causing me to laugh even harder. He chases me around the room, at human speed, grabbing out for me every now and then, only to let me evade him for a little longer. My face burns with heat from the combination of smiling so much and running around the room, and my breathing becoming harder and harder with each passing moment.

I am just about to turn to him calling an end to our shenanigans, when he swoops me up in his arms and launches us onto the middle of the bed, pinning me gently beneath him. A serious look spreads all over his face. "I believe someone is owed a tickling for teasing me so mercilessly."

"Don't" I laugh harder, "I swear Eric I will get you back if you do."

"Ha! What will you do?"

"Aww **HONEY** don't be like that." I snicker.

"That's it, wench, it's a tickling for you." He tickles my ribs and hips and that spot that always gets me right below my butt**.** I scream and twist and try to get away, but mostly I just laugh. My heart feels so light and I am so happy being so playful with someone. "Do you yield?"

"Yes, yes." I beg breathlessly. He leans forward and licks a long cool line up my neck blowing his cool breath up the same trail he had just laid forth. I shudder softly.

"Say it Sookie." He nibbles softly on my throat and I can't stop myself from letting out a small whimper.

"What am I supposed to say again?" I ask in a breathy whisper, except this time it is for an entirely different reason than laughing.

"Say," he kisses my neck softly**,** "I yield to you Master."

I scoff at him. "In your dreams."

He pulls the tender flesh of my throat into his mouth, rolling it softly between his teeth and circling it lightly with his tongue. "Yield lover," he whispers lightly.

"I yield… **HONEY**!" I laugh loudly.

"Oh that's it you wicked women, time for round two of your punishment." Flipping us quickly so that he is sitting on the edge of the bed, he turns me over his knee and rubs my butt gently, in firm circles.

"Don't Eric," I giggle, looking over my shoulder at him.

"So stern." He scrunches his face into a serious expression, clearly trying hard to be serious. It isn't going very well, I can see the laughter just on the edge, ready to burst forth, his lips twitching to contain his smile. He raises his hand, and I squirm against him.

"Don't Eric, I swear I'll…" but what I was going to do I never had the opportunity to say, because he brought his hand down quickly on my butt, in a series of four quick swats. I scream out, it is the weirdest combination of pleasure and pain that I had never before experienced.

"Aww, lover," he says softly. "Did that hurt?" Once again he repositions us quickly, so that I am lying on my belly spread out across the mattress, with him kneeling at my side. He places a quick kiss**,** over the heated sting that is still lingering on my ass. A small moan of appreciation slips from my lips.

There are no more words, there is no more playful banter**.** Before I have time to even realize it, the mood between the two of us had shifted dramatically. It is just Eric and I, a man and woman who care for each other, locked in a natural exchange of tenderness.

He slowly kisses his way up my spine and over my shoulder blades, cold open mouth kisses that leaves a trail of fire on my skin after his lips have moved to the next spot. He rolls me onto my back and looks down at me, hovering just inches above me. None of our flesh is touching and yet it feels like every inch of my body is pressed beneath him. He stares at me for but moments, but it felt like a lifetime, his cool gaze taking in every inch of me.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen Sookie**,**" he says to me softly. My natural reaction is to scoff at his statement in disbelief. I really want to bite out some smart ass remark about the improbability of that statement; for surely in all the time he has been walking this Earth he has seen women far more beautiful than me. I want to call him a liar, but tell him thank you for the compliment, even if it was false. I open my mouth to do just that, but just as I am getting ready to let my doubts fly out unbridled, I get a good look in his eyes. He is serious! I can see it in his face, the truth of his belief is etched all over his face. The very idea that he is sincere causes my breath to catch in my throat and hot tears to trickle from my eyes.

"Oh lover, do not doubt your beauty to me, not now, not ever. You are precious to me and I will do anything for you**,**" he says softly, and I almost giggle when the thought pops into my head**;** who was the mind reader in this relationship?

He kisses my tears away, and slowly kisses his way down to my lips. When his soft lips finally reach their destination, I am truly amazed. His kiss is soft, sweet, tender, and loving, almost reverent in its delivery. There is no demand, no force; he is simply showering me with his affection. I would never have expected that from him. Whenever I had allowed myself to have the random thought about what kissing him would be like, I had always pictured his kisses to be strong, forceful, dominate, and rushed with fiery passion, much like Godric's kisses had been earlier. I never in my wildest dreams had I expected him to be tender, and dare I say it, loving.

"Let me love you Sookie**,**" he whispers softly against my lips. "I promise I won't hurt you, ever."

I am not really sure how to respond to such a statement**.** It seems like just yesterday, hell it is just yesterday, that we were enemies. Now, we are so much more**.** My head spins with the complete change in our dynamic, but there is no way I could deny him. Him and Godric both just fit in my life, they fit me perfectly, they complete a part of me that I had never known was missing.

"Oh Eric, please, nothing would make me happier." I finally respond brushing my lips across his, in a feather light touch. A huge smile spreads across his face, and I am reminded of staring into the sun. His features are so happy, so bright, that staring into them for too long could blind you with their brilliance.

He kisses me again, slowly sliding his hand up and down my body, caressing every curve and contour. "So perfect," he says softly. He kisses his way down my jaw, ghosts over my ear, lingering for but a moment on my neck, across my collarbone, and stopping at my sternum. His tongue flicks out licking a long line between my breasts, and he makes what only can be described as a "nummy" noise in the back of his throat.

He turns his head and kisses one nipple lightly and then the other and then back again. Over and over, until I want to scream and beg for him to do more**,** than just lavish me with kisses. He pulls one nipple into his mouth and rolls it gently between his teeth, causing me to cry out and almost come undone with that simple movement. He releases it suddenly with a loud pop and turns to the other, lavishing it with the same attention. Ending his movements in the same manner as he had the first time, back and forth he continued the same pattern over and over. I cry out and grip his hair, arch my back, and squirm heavily underneath him, chanting his name over and over in a prayer of thanks.

He moves away suddenly, and I groan from the loss of the contact. I can feel his smile against my skin as he kisses my ribs, slowly making his way down one side and then coming back up and repeating the motion on the other. It is like he is determined to kiss every inch of flesh that I possessed, and I was more than ready to allow him to try. He kisses around my belly button and then works his way over to my hipbone, adding teeth and tongue, pulling my flesh into his mouth. My whole body shakes with the prolonged ecstasy of it.

He moves down further, kissing the inside of my thigh, and when he nips it gently my shoulders jerk up off the bed with the pleasure of it. "Oh God Eric!" I scream out to him and he chuckles darkly at my reaction to his well-placed love nip.

He settles himself between my thighs and kisses my curls lightly. "So good Sookie," he whispers softly as he takes a very deep breath, obviously breathing in my scent.

His tongue darts out quickly swiping over me, my body rocking with the sudden contact and then lack thereof. "Gods, you even taste perfect lover**,**" he says, his voice lowering a few octaves. His tongue slowly rides me, working me into a frenzy with his strong steady strokes and twirls. My head falls back and I sob with the immense pleasure he is bestowing upon me. Closer and closer I climb, and I can feel my muscles begging to clinch preparing for release, when all the marvelous sensations he is giving me is ripped away.

I scream in frustration, snapping open my eyes, only to find him hovering just inches above me. Without a word he grasps my thigh firmly in his hand and pushes into me, once, twice, three times and I come undone, screaming out his name. His body stills as he lets me ride the waves of pleasure, until they are nothing more than mere twitches, here and there. "I had to be looking down on you as I made you cum for the first time**,**" he says huskily, as he slowly begins to work his hips again in a steady rhythm.

"Next time though, next time I will drink up every delicious drop your body pours forth for me." I don't respond. I mean, what do you really say to the man who tells you he will enjoy drinking up your cum, as if it's a refreshing drink?

I nod my head and close my eyes, enjoying my second steady climb to climax. "No, Sookie**,**" he says softly, "don't close your eyes. Look at me, look me in the eyes and watch as I make love to you." My eyes flutter open and I watch the deep emotions play behind two endless pools of blue. Just that look, the tender care, the passion, causes me to cry out, forcing my release to be impending. Every stroke of his body feels like he is reaching in and touching my soul.

I want to hold on to this feeling so badly**.** I clench my teeth tight, forcing myself to hold off my release, trying desperately to prolong this exchange. Eric brushes the hair from my forehead and kisses me softly. "It's okay Sookie, let go, just let go," and I do just that, screaming my release, as I watch him reach his own.

We just stare into each other's eyes for a while, neither of us moving, neither of us wanting to separate from the other. We were locked together, as close as two people could become, and the moment was truly perfect. I really want to say something sweet, something sentimental, and something that can explain the depths of emotions that I am currently experiencing. Yet, no words come; no words are really adequate enough to explain what I am feeling.

He winks at me, a mischievous smile playing across his lips. "I know," he says softly, pecking my mouth gently with his.

"You know what I just realized Eric?"

"What is that lover?" he says softly leaning on his elbow and kissing the tip of my nose.

"You didn't take any blood, is there… I mean… how come…"

"Sshh lover, we don't have to exchange blood every time we make love. Sometimes it is just about the act of being intimate itself. The two do not have to go together, they just often do for my kind. It won't be every time that I abstain." He kisses my nose quickly and we finally separate. Both of us groaning with complaint at the loss of the other, and he says, "Go take a shower lover. We have much to do tonight and little time to accomplish it all."

I pout slightly. "Aren't you going to join me?"

"No," he chuckles. "If I join you we will never make it out of here. Go on now, go." He grabs my waist and lifts me from the bed, placing me on my feet and slaps my ass lightly to get me moving.

I laugh lightly. "All right, all right, I'm going." I hear him laugh loudly as I gently pull the bathroom door closed behind me. I roll my eyes, and shake my head**.** "So glad I could be amusing to you**,**" I mumble under my breath, and I hear another loud peal of laughter coming from the bedroom.

"Damn supes and there damn super hearing! You better make sure I have something pretty to wear by the time I get out of this shower mister." The only answer that comes is another loud chuckle.

Washed, dried, and squeaky clean, I emerge from the bathroom only to find the bedroom completely empty, except for a gorgeous royal blue silk sundress laid out on the bed. Next to the dress**,** is the cutest, blue lace thong I have ever seen, and matching lace corset, as well as a matching pair of high heels. I slip into the panties, pull the corset down over me, and adjust all my tidbits into just the right place, when I realize that there is no way**,** I am going to be able to get the darn thing laced up on my own.

"Godric**,**" I call out to the room. I know he is around here somewhere, this outfit sang of his tastes. Eric always struck me as a red kind of guy as well as making sure I expose every inch of skin possible while still being classy. This dress was simple, yet classy, a halter style, with a sweetheart neckline, that would show an ample amount of bosom. The bodice will be fitted perfectly while the skirt flows outwards from bottom, in what I like to call the perfect twirling skirt. You know, one of those skirts where you can't help but to spin around and round because it would twirl out perfectly showing every inch of leg without showing more than just the slightest glimpse of ass. Enough to tease the senses of any male, without being slutty.

"You hollered little one," he says softly from behind me. Catching my waist in his strong arms and kissing my shoulder lightly.

"I didn't holler, ladies don't holler, but yes I did call for you," I giggle. I turn my head and kiss his awaiting lips. "Mmm, missed you when I woke up."

"I missed you as well little one, but there was much to do, and I thought that you and Eric would appreciate a little alone time." I shake my head lightly, Godric was being Eric's wingman, I don't know why I should have expected any less. He kisses my nose lightly and says, "Now, what is it that I can do for you?"

"Well, the undergarments are lovely, but there is no way I will be able to lace myself up into this darn corset without any help. Care to give it a shot?"

He takes a step back, bows dramatically at the waist, waving his hand in a little rolling gesture, "Your wish is my command milady."

"Why thank you kind sir," I say through a bout of giggles and mock curtsy at him.

A small smile plays at the edges of his lips and I can tell it is taking all of his will not to burst into peals of laughter. "Brace yourself against the bed post while I lace you up, little one. Of course I would much rather be taking off your clothes than putting them on, but alas there is no way around it tonight."

"Well…" I laugh lightly as I brace myself against the bed. "I could always go out sans clothing, I am sure we could turn a few heads that way."

He growls lightly as he pulled the first lace tight, and I grunt softly with the suddenness of it. "I do not think so, little one."

I roll my eyes. Ughh men. Can't live with them, can't live without them, and now I have two. Sweet baby Jesus what have I gotten myself into? "So what is on the agenda for this evening sweetie?" I ask softly, cajoling his wounded male ego that was oh so damaged at the thought of my appearing naked in public. Ughh, sarcasm much, I bite my lip roughly, to keep the burst of laughter from escaping my lips.

His nimble fingers pull, caress, and tighten all at the same time as he quickly laces me up in the darn corset. "We have much to do tonight, unfortunately. We have a meeting with Nan Flanagan tonight. We need to discuss all that happened with the FOTS and we also have to figure out what is to be done about Bill and his venomous Queen. Depending on what is decided in the meeting, you, Eric, and I will need to discuss our options and where we wish to go from here."

"So, politics, Bill, and personal**.** Sounds like loads of fun."

He kisses my shoulder softly and pats my rear. "All done, lift your hands and I will help you into your dress." I lift my hands and he slips the dress over my body, smoothing it into position as it settles over me.

Grabbing my hand he leads me over to a vanity that is tucked into the corner of the room. I raise an eyebrow at his reflection asking a silent question and he just shakes his head. Lifting a brush, he sets to work styling my hair into an elaborate updo, with twists, and turns, and flashy ribbon, intertwined here and there.

"It won't be all bad tonight little one. I am quite looking forward to our discussion on what to do about our relationship. After this afternoon, I have no intention of letting you go anytime soon. The only real decision that will need to be made is if we are here or in Louisiana." He gives me a heated look, and I can feel as well as see a bright blush creep over my features.

"What about Eric? What about his position in area five? What about my job, house, and car? How will the three of us work? Are we all going to live together or…" He raises his hand to silence me, cutting me off from the myriad of questions and doubts that are suddenly sweeping over me.

"We will work all of that out tonight. Do not worry little one. Everything will be fine**.** I know that Eric and I are both willing to make a lot of concessions when it comes to you. We just need to sit down and work out the details." He kisses the top of my head lightly and I sigh in contentment. How did I get so lucky?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

** Sookie's POV**

"What is taking her so long?" I watch silently as Eric paces the very large suite. We had arrived back at the Hotel Camilla to await Nan Flanagan**,** spokeswoman for the VRA and general pain in our collective asses, for a debriefing on all of the events that have occurred over the last three days.

"She will get here when she gets here Eric. Behaving like a petulant child is not going to make her come any faster. Need I remind you that you are well over a thousand years old, act your age. There is no need for you to be so… restless**,**" Godric says lightly. I know he is just trying to put things in perspective for Eric, make him see that patience is a virtue and all that, but with Eric you have to use a more gentle touch. Otherwise you're liable to get your fingers bitten off.

I pat the couch cushion lightly and I try to give Eric my most playful and sweet smile I have. "Come sit with me Eric."

He rolls his eyes dramatically at me, flops on the couch, crosses his arms, and sulkily says**,** "We have been waiting for this shrew for over an hour. There is a reason for meetings to be set at a certain time, so that everyone actually shows up!" Godric and Isabelle glare at Eric. Isabelle had been asked to also join us in the debriefing and as Godric's second in command she had to be here. Eric glares right back at them and I see him open his mouth preparing to make some cutting remark. I squeeze Eric's knee lightly and kiss his cheek, hoping he would calm down. His entire body relaxes slightly and I can't help but smile at the fact that I can put him at ease so quickly. He reaches out and strokes my cheek softly, giving me a nod of appreciation.

"Game face Viking, the wicked witch approaches." I wink at him lightly, and he nods at me solemnly. I watch astounded by his instant change in demeanor. Suddenly, Eric goes from petulant child vampire throwing a hissy fit over being kept waiting, to cool, confident, aloof vampire who could hardly give a flying fuck about anyone's presence.

The large, black lacquered double doors burst open dramatically, and two men in monkey suites and sunglasses fill up the entryway. I bite my tongue as the theme song from _Men in Black_ plays through my head. '_We are the men in black, galaxy defenders_.' That's what these two thugs are too, men in black, for goodness sakes they even wore those little plastic earpieces

They glare around the room, scoping it out for any threats or supposed issues that may occur. Well I can only assume they are glaring due to the very black sunglasses**.** Really**,** who wears sunglasses indoors at night? Oh yeah vampires who don't need to worry about the little trivial things like perfect eyesight hindered by dark glasses**;** their eyesight is beyond perfect.

I once heard on Public Television that a vampire's eyesight is ten times better than a hawk, which is pretty damn good considering the fact that a hawk's eyesight is eight times more powerful than a human's. The monkey boys look at each other and nod once, having one of those manly men silent conversations, and take a step into the room and then each one took a step to the outside of the door frame.

There, framed by the black lacquer doorframe and two vamps that look closer to apes than men, stood Nan Flannigan. She is dressed all in white, a very smart looking pant suit that suited her tiny frame perfectly; I could never pull something like that off. My hips are too wide for the darn pants to lay correctly, not that curvy hips are a bad thing, but if you have child bearing hips, as my Gran used to call them, you are not meant to wear a pant suit. Nan's ice blue eyes glance over the room coldly, her lip turning up in a snarl of disgust when they land on Godric. She was clearly not happy.

Nan struts, like a damn roster, across the room, her stiletto heels sinking deep into the plush white carpet. Something about them seems off to me**.** I tilt my head slightly and watch**,** as this woman who is going to be grilling us for God knows how long, glides towards the fireplace at the center of the room. Without any cue what so ever from her, one of her body guards slides behind her placing one of the large overstuffed chairs in front of the fireplace. She sits down gracefully, a queen in her throne and us her subjects, awaiting judgment.

She crosses her legs, her ankle over her knee like a man, and not the proper way for a lady, one ankle in front of the other, and I finally figure out what is wrong with the heels of her shoes. They are made of silver! I almost gasp aloud with the realization. What kind of woman, no scratch that, vampire would run around wearing silver on their shoes? '_The kind of woman who is often killing vampires with the heel of her boot,'_ my mind supplies.

I gulp, in what I am sure is audible to every vampire in the room, and my heart begins to thump harshly in my chest. This is not a woman to be taken lightly. She leans forward, placing her elbows on her knees and says, "Do you have any idea of the fucking PR mess you've made? And who had to clean that shit up? Me, not you, me. I should drain every one of you bastards." Her shrill voice washes over the room, and sends chills down my spine. I know her threat isn't just an idle one; if it suits her desires, she really will drain every one of us. Fuck.

Eric stiffens slightly beside me. If his leg wasn't pressed up against mine I doubt I would have even noticed, let alone anyone else in the room. "Stan went to the church on his own. None of us knew anything about it!" He practically shouts.

"Oh really? Because everyone who has met Stan in the last three hundred years knew he had a kink about slaughtering humans. But you, his nest mates, his sheriff had no clue?" She says arrogantly and waves her hand slightly to indicate Godric and Isabelle were clearly the ones at fault in this situation.

"And how were we supposed to know that this time he meant it?" Isabelle says mockingly. It was a good question. How is it that they are to be held responsible for another vampire's action?

"Not my problem, yours." Nan sneers at Godric and points to him in a flippant manner.

"Don't talk to him that way," Eric growls at her, leaning forward in a threatening pose. Oh this is so not good, and all I can do is look back and forth between them as the volley is tossed back and forth. I feel like I am watching a ping-pong match; the tension is moving too quickly for me to say or do anything, to avert the oncoming disaster.

"Don't talk to me that way," Nan replies coolly, mimicking Eric's pose. I place my hand on Eric's knee praying that he will back off just a little. I really don't want to die tonight after everything I have already survived.

"Let's get to the point. How'd they manage to abduct you?" She asks Godric, raising an eyebrow quizzically. Actually, now that I thought about it, that was a darn good question. How did they manage to abduct a two thousand plus year old vampire? It shouldn't have happened.

"They would've taken one of us sooner or later, I offered myself." The whole room fell silent. I may be the only one staring at him open mouthed in shock, but I know I am not the only one who is blown away by this revelation.

"Why?" Nan asks, clearly puzzled. _'Yeah why?'_ I scream at him in my head. _'Why would you do such a stupid, STUPID thing?'_

"Why not?" Godric says in a cool level voice and shrugs his shoulders. It took every ounce of inner-strength, and Eric flipping the script by placing his hand on my knee, to keep me from leaping into Godric's lap and slapping the hell out of him.

I nod my head once at Eric slightly, letting him know that I will be fine. _'I am not going to ruin this meeting by slapping the shit out of Godric. I am not going to ruin this meeting by slapping the shit out of Godric.'_ I repeat my new mantra over and over again in my head. _'But the second we are alone he is gonna get a piece of my mind.'_

Then Nan drops another bomb on us and I almost do leap over and beat the hell out of Godric for his stupidity. "They wanted you to meet the sun and you were willing?" I must have moved because Eric grabbed my hip and squeezed tightly, not enough to hurt me, but enough to let me know now was not the time. The three of us would deal with this later.

Godric simply shrugs his broad shoulders and says coolly, "What do you think?" After everything we went through! Eric was worried sick; I was almost raped and beaten horribly by Gabe. Not to mention the fact that Bill then did rape me and beat me even worse. All because Godric had some kind of… death wish… WHAT THE FUCK!!

"I think you're out of your mind." I couldn't contain my snort of incredulity _'that's putting it mildly'_ I thought. Both Godric and Nan look at me raising an eyebrow questioningly. I feel a blush overtake my cheeks, I shake my head slightly and avert my gaze to the floor. "And then I hear about a traitor?" Nan continues.

I watch Isabelle stiffen and relax so quickly when Nan mentions the traitor, I would have missed it if I had blinked. "Irrelevant, only a rumor. I'll take full responsibility," Godric says, waving off any indication that Hugo had anything to do with the little "incident" at the Fellowship of the Sun church. If I ever get my hands on that bastard I am going to scratch his eyes out, regardless of how fond of him Isabelle is.

"You bet you will," Nan says smugly.

"You cold bitch," Eric says and I bite my tongue to keep from myself from either laughing at Eric's cocky response, or gape incredulously at him for talking to someone who could have us all killed in an instant if it suited her.

Nan continues, clearly unaffected by Eric's little outburst and name-calling. "Listen, this is a national vampire disaster and nobody at the top has any sympathy for any of you. I should fire your sorry ass right now!"

"I agree," Godric says and shrugs his shoulders. What the hell? This is not the Godric I have come to know. Why is he acting this way?

"Godric fight back**,**" Isabelle says, grabbing his elbow in her little hands and shaking him a bit.

"What are you saying? She's a bureaucrat you don't have to take shit from her!" Eric screams at Godric. Clearly he is just as upset by Godric's flippant attitude as Isabelle and I are. I cannot wrap my mind around why he is just rolling over and taking this shit.

"You wanna loose your area Viking?" Nan says snarkily, attempting to check Eric on his behavior.

"Well you don't have that kind of power**,**" Eric says in almost a sing song voice. He is almost like a child, sticking out his tongue and singing _'nanny nanny boo boo'_ at her.

"Hey I'm on TV. Try me. It helps that the council has given me full power to make whatever decision I see as necessary, to ensure that our transition into society goes smoothly**,**" she says in that same sing song voice Eric had just used**,** and I hear in my head the appropriate child responseof _'I'm rubber _you're _glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.'_ These vampires are worse than kindergarteners.

"I'm to blame**.** I should've contained Stan the second Godric went missing!" Isabelle shouts dramatically at Nan, standing abruptly and crossing her arms over her chest. I can tell she really wanted to stomp her foot in a fit, but somehow manages to reel herself in.

"Isabelle**,**" Godric raises his voice slightly in warning**.** He turns to Nan and says, "I remove myself from all positions of authority."

"Works for me**,**" Nan says, a smirk sliding across her face.

There is no way I am letting this go down. I stand and walk towards Nan suddenly before Eric or Godric even have time to react to my moving. I want to badly slap that smile off of her face but I know that would be very stupid, to say the least. Isabelle isn't quite as slow on the uptake though because she grabs my arm, shakes her head and says, "Sookie, Sookie don't."

"I owe him**,**" I hiss at her, my teeth clenched tightly, my jaw in pain from my teeth pressing together so firmly. There is no way that I am going to let Godric just resign and there is definitely no way that I am going to allow this woman to continue to blame this whole mess on Godric. "Miss Flanagan**,** Godric rescued me from a really large rapist**,** who probably would've killed me too. Not to mention the whole mess with Bill."

"That's nice**,**" Nan mocks.

"No Listen," I plead.

"Moving on**,**" Nan says, trying to talk over me. Well you don't grow up in a house with Jason Stackhouse and not learn how to get your point across loudly.

I interrupt her, raising my voice several octaves so that she has to pay attention to me, so that she HAS to listen. "And then he rescued humans in that church plus a whole lot of vampires. You think it's a PR mess now it could've been a hundred, a million times worse. You should thank him."

"For getting kidnapped? For attracting a suicide bomber? For piss poor judgment? I think not," she says, mocking me again. It is clear that she is perfectly fine with Godric being the fall guy in this whole mess. I may not be very happy with him for his actions, but that doesn't mean he should lose his position.

I must have been leaning into Isabelle's firm grip because I stumble slightly when she suddenly lets me go, blurring across the room to stop Eric. I have been so focused on Nan and her bitchy, retarded attitude that I didn't realize that Eric was losing his cool. Isabelle places herself between Eric and Nan, putting one hand on his chest and says softly, "Don't."

"Eric. It doesn't matter," Godric says firmly, letting Eric know clearly that he needs to back the hell off of his current collision course with disaster.

"Tell me about the bombing, I want every single detail," Nan snaps coldly, arching an inquisitive eyebrow at Godric. Isabelle, Eric, and I all settle back in to our various positions and turn towards Godric, who is going to relate this awful tale for us.

"Eric and I were speaking with Sookie when a boy walked in the lair. I thought he was someone's human companion. I noticed that the boy was having words with Sookie's brother, which immediately caused me to become suspicious. Before I had an opportunity to inquire about his presence the boy announced that he was from the Fellowship of the Sun and that he had a message for us from Reverend Newlin. He unzipped his jacket revealing the bomb." Godric's words are hallow and emotionless, but I can see the pain of this tragedy weighing heavily upon his mind. He is haunted by the travesty that occurred in his nest and his words hang heavily in the air causing a chill to run down my spine, from reliving that horrendous scene.

"And why didn't you stop him from blowing up your nest?" Nan asks.

Godric spreads his hands in a helpless gesture. "There was no time**.** I was not close enough to the boy to stop him. Some of my fellow nest mates tried and failed losing their lives in the process. I did the only thing I could do**,** protect Sookie from the blast. We were close enough that it would have killed her, but not close enough to have stopped it."

"You protected this girl from getting killed?" Nan asks incredulously.

"Yes**,**" Godric says firmly, enunciating the word in a firm assertion that he would do it again if need be. I almost smile at that, even though this situation is crappy as hell, he is so sweet.

"Why?" Nan asks, narrowing her eyes at him.

Before Godric even has the opportunity to grace her royal bitchiness with an answer though, Eric butts into the conversation. "She is valuable for one, and for two she is precious to Godric and myself." He slides his arm around my waist and pulls me firmly against his side. My mouth falls open in shock at his very open display of, what some would consider weakness and affection.

"If it wasn't for her," Isabelle says drawing my attention to her**,** "we would have lost over three quarters of our nest, including Godric and Eric."

Nan whips her head from Isabelle's face to mine, eyeing me speculatively and I suddenly feel like a little worm on a big fucking hook, helpless and unable to prevent from being cast into the rapids that await me. I look down at my lap, clench my fingers tightly, and try desperately to get that super power I had always wanted as a child, invisibility. "How**,** did this girl save the nest?"

Godric slips his hand into mine, and squeezes it once to help reassure me. "Apparently, she organized the surviving humans and vampires to have all of the silver removed from our systems. She had the vampires accompany the humans so that they could contain the hurt vampires in case they got out of control while they were having the silver removed and then feeding off the human if need be. She also, from what I understand, organized shelter and transportation to said shelter, for all of the vampires to rest for the day."

"Why do you say it that way Godric? Why are you saying 'apparently**'** and **'**as I understand?'" Nan asks**.** I glance up at her and see that she is truly puzzled by this.

I look over at Godric and watch a slow smile spread across his face. He clears his throat and says, "Well, I was not conscious during all of this. From what I have been told Eric and I sustained the worst injuries, besides the vampires that lost their lives of course. If the silver had not been removed both of us would have met our final deaths. Sookie took it upon herself to remove the silver from us. It had worked its way so deeply into our systems that she had to suck the bullets and shrapnel from our bodies. She also donated her own blood to both Eric and I, so that we could heal from our injuries quickly. Which is, I am reluctant to say, what set off Bill. He was outside the lair when the bombing occurred, having removed his maker after she attacked Sookie. When he returned he found Sookie helping Eric with his injuries."

"Yes, you mentioned something about that earlier Sookie. What is this incident with Compton?"

I cringe into the couch as if I had just been struck. I really didn't want to tell this woman, this cold heartless woman, about the hell that Bill had put me through. Godric pulls me into his lap and runs his fingers slowly up and down my spine. "It is all right Sookie, I understand your reluctance to speak of that cad and what he did to you, but you have to in order to help us protect you from him." He squeezes my ribcage firmly, comforting me in my obvious misery and fear.

I nod my head in acceptance and turn partially towards Nan. "Well…" I start, but am immediately interrupted by the huge double doors bursting open and there stood Bill.

I whimper slightly at the site of my tormentor, the man I had loved, and turn my face into Godric's chest. Before I even have time to realize it, Godric lifts me up and places me into Eric's awaiting lap**,** quickly making his way across the room and slamming Bill into the nearest wall.

"I warned you Compton**.** I told you to leave my area or you would be torn to shreds for the crimes you committed against Sookie. You not only choose not to listen, but also had the audacity to show your face to me. Now you will pay the price for your foolish error."

"Sookie _is_ **MINE**!" Bill hisses between his teeth. His violent proclamation rips through me and my body begins to shake in terror. He turns his head to Nan and says, "I demand that you have these two fools return my property at once. They burst into my hotel room, physically assaulted me, and took that girl."

Eric growls deep in his chest and I feel my silent tears begin to slip down my face. I am so afraid that somehow I am going to be forced to return to that monster, despite Eric and Godric's reassurances that it would never happen. "You really think we would allow something like that to happen?" Godric questions him. "You are never going to touch her ever again, you are an abomination. The things you did to her were atrocities, and they make us all look like the monsters that the Fellowship paints us to be."

"It was nothing more than she deserved after her betrayal," Bill spits at him. "She is **mine** to do with as **I** please."

"She is no longer your concern. She asked for our protection. She now belongs to Eric and me**,**" Godric says harshly, raising his voice a few octaves, and his entire body shaking with his barely contained rage.

"**NO**!!!" Bill screams, struggling against Godric's iron grip, trying desperately to get to me. "**SHE'S** **MINE**!"

"You are insane if you think I will let you anywhere near her ever again. You BEAT her, you RAPED her, and her entire body was covered in bruises that **YOU** left on her. I am done with this arguing, and I am most certainly done with you."

Godric pulls his hand back preparing himself to strike a blow that would undoubtedly be fatal, when Nan stands abruptly. Her sudden movement causes the chair she was sitting in to fly backwards, crashing into the metal fireplace screen, and clattering loudly to the floor. "**ENOUGH**!" She bellows. "Mitch, Garret, remove Mr. Compton from Godric's grasp and hold him while I investigate this further."

I watch the two goons, now known as Mitch and Garret, remove Bill roughly from Godric's firm grip**,** each of them grasping one of his forearms with their enormous hands. Bill struggles against them, trying to get away, to get to me, to hurt me. His face is feral and I realize Bill had lost it. Something in him yesterday caused him to snap and now I am an obsession for him. I realize he is never going to quit**,** he is never going to stop**,** until he gets me, and either enslaves me for the rest of my natural life, or kills me accidently during one of his fits.

Bill tries to lunge at me again and screams in a fit of rage when he is unable to move forward more than a few inches. "Give her back to me Nan or I swear on all that is unholy you will rue the day you ever crossed me."

"Oh, do shut up Compton. Godric go and sit with your child. None of you are to utter another syllable unless I direct a question at you." She turns to me and I can see a look of compassion lurking on the edges of her face. "Sookie come with me child so that I can question you about what happened. I assume you will not be comfortable speaking about it in front of him."

I shake my head no and she smiles slightly at me, she walks slowly across the room and places herself between Bill and I. Crouching down slightly to look me directly in my eyes and not tower over me, she lowers her voice slightly and says, "No what child? No you don't feel comfortable speaking in front of him or no you don't want to go with me?"

"Both," I whisper softly.

She nods her head in understanding. "Would it be easier if Isabelle comes with us?" I hear Godric and Eric both start to object and Nan shoots them both a look of warning. "I wish to question her without your presence. I will give you both an opportunity to speak about what you witnessed after I am done with Sookie. She will be safe with me, I swear it," Nan says firmly looking them both in the eyes and having some form of silent communication with them. Godric nods his head, conceding to her wishes.

"Sookie come with me." Nan holds her hand out to me, patiently waiting for me to take it and go with her. I squeeze Eric tighter to me, not wanting to leave the comfort and security that his arms provide.

"Lover, it is alright. You should go with Nan, you will be safe and Isabelle will be right there with you. I promise it will all be fine." He kisses the crown of my head softly and squeezes me gently in reassurance.

I nod my head once and silently take Nan's hand. She helps me to my feet and smiles kindly at me. I am a bit shocked by her sudden compassion, after her hard as nails, tough bitch impression she had given me earlier**.** The last thing I expected is for her to show me any kindness in this awful situation. "Good. Come Isabelle."

Isabelle is instantly at my side, sliding her slender arm around my waist and guiding me towards a door, which I could only assume led to a bedroom area. As I walk through the doors I hear Nan say to the remaining men, "All of you are to remain silent until my return. If you do not comply I will end you myself."

Isabelle guides me to the bed and helps me sit, taking a spot right next to me. Nan walks into the room, and pulls the door firmly shut behind her. She smiles lightly at me and says**,** "That's better**.** Now we can talk without all the pomp and pretense of having to be tough ass bitches."

I can't help but let out a sudden burst of laughter at her quip. She winks at me, and turns towards the desk that is against the wall to her right. She pulls out the chair and places it a foot of the bed, in front of Isabelle and myself. "Now," she says softly, her face suddenly solemn as she takes a seat. "I need you to tell me about what happened during and after the bombing. I want to help you Sookie but I can't do that without all of the facts, alright?"

I sigh deeply and look down at the beautiful cream-colored carpeting, trying desperately to steady my nerves. "All right," I say softly. "I will tell you everything."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes:** Okay just a few things this week. First I am updating a day early because I know that the beloved Charlene Harris is releasing the new book in the SVM series this week and I am sure most of you will be sucked into this new novel. I was unsure if I should even update this week at all because of this. I discussed it with a good friend who reads my fic's and she told me I should either update early or wait for a week. So ya'll can send good vibes out to my girl Shannon for encouraging me to update early.

Second, my editor informed me that I should tell ya'll about the fact that some of the things in this fic comes from the books and not the show. Specifically there is a even Sookie speaks about in this chapter that happens differently in the show then it does in the books. Some of you may not be aware of this because you do not read the books. So, if there is something that occurs here that you are confused about because it doesn't happen like that in the show, just know that it occurs that way in the books.

Third, I have to give a big shout out to a few of my readers. One of them is Peachie x who spotted The Crow reference in the last chapter. I was actually surprised that more of you either didn't notice or didn't comment about it. The line is one of my fav's from the movie and I enjoyed being able to finally use such a brilliant line in my work. So big ol' Viking lovin' to Peachie for spotting the brilliant line.

Another shout out I have to give is that a few of you have taken the time to put me up as a recommendation in your blogs. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have helped to increase the number of readers that I get every week and have helped to encourage me to keep going by increasing my popularity. KISSES.

Lastly a big shout out to my girl, ericizmine (www. Fanfiction . net/u/1982937/) she has been helping me with getting my own blog set up and been extremely patient with me. Ya'll should go and check her out, just remove the spaces in the web address, she writes a few of my favorite stories out there. Saint's and Sinners is one of my favorites as well as her Dead Tired series. So good. When I get my page all perfect I will give all of you the address for it, I am going to be putting some original work up there, but these things take time. Hehe

Lastly a big ol' thank you to all of you who took the time to review my work, I appreciate it more than I have words to describe. I encourage all of you to continue to do so or do it for the first time. It helps me grow as a writer and encourages me to continue with my stories. Tons of love to you all and enjoy the newest chapter.

Much love from the west coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 8**

I sit on the bed for a long time, just staring at my hands. Twisting my fingers over and over again, trying desperately to find a way to bring myself to rehash all that was and is Bill Compton, over with Nan. I start to fidget with the edges of my dress when Nan tactfully clears her throat, bringing my attention away from the beautiful blue silk at my knees and to her stoic face. "I know this is difficult for you Sookie. I understand that you do not want to talk about Bill, but I need this information. So let's start with something simple all right? You think you can do that?"

I nod my head in agreement and she says, "Good, all right now how did you and Bill meet?"

I clear my throat softly. "I work as a waitress at a bar back home, Merlotte's. Well, one night Bill came in and I spotted him right away. I knew he was a vampire and I had always been curious about ya'll ever since you first came out."

Nan raises her eyebrows in shock. "How did you know he was a vampire when you first saw him?"

"Well, ya'll kind of glitter, no wait, that isn't quite right; it's more of a glow. It's like ya'll have millions of lightning bugs underneath your skin pushing the light out of every pore in your bodies. 'Cept, it seems like I am the only one who spots you that way. None of the other people in the bar, except Sam but I think that has more to do with Sam being a shifter and all, knew that Bill was a vamp. Anyways, I just went right on up to Bill and struck up a conversation with him. A few of the locals had cozied up to him during our conversation and I could tell they were up to no good. I tried to warn him to stay put, but how often do ya'll really listen to anyone else, especially some crazy girl you had just met. Sam yelled at me to get my other orders filled and when I made it back to his table Bill was gone. Then I saved his worthless hide from getting drained by the Rattray's, nearly getting myself killed in the process, might I add."

"Wait, what, you saved Bill, a vampire you had just met, from drainers?" Nan asks, as she shakes her head in disbelief that I would do such a foolish thing. I have to admit, even if it was just to myself, that it was kind of foolish to do. But what's done is done and there is nothing I can do now to change it. Even if I would really like to go back in time and warn myself not to save him.

"Sure why not?" I shrug. "He didn't deserve to be drained, and as far as I knew he hadn't done anything to anyone. He was just minding his own business when they got it in their heads to kill him and sell his blood for a tidy profit. Now I kind of wish I would of let them have their way with him. But that really isn't the point now is it? Why should ya'll be hunted just cause your different. We are all different in some way. It isn't any different from being prejudiced against someone cause of their skin color or because of their sexual preferences. It just doesn't make any since, if you ask me."

"Well put Sookie," Isabelle says softly. She places one hand on my back and smiles at me warmly. '_I am really starting to like her.' _I smile back at her and think._ 'She isn't much older than me physically but I am starting to look at her as a mother figure'. _It is crazy how rapidly everything around me is changing.A few days ago I was with Bill, the supposed love of my life and I hated, no loathed, no despised Eric. Now, I loathe Bill, and am with not one but two vampires and have a motherly type vampire to boot. Gran always said "Life can change quick as a wink." Man she wasn't kidding.

"Indeed." Nan says pulling me from my meandering thoughts. "We could use someone like you to help improve vampire relations, all sweetness and apple pie. The real picture of down home trustworthiness, it is too good. The sweet southern belle promoting the equality of vampires, oh I can just picture it now." Nan's eyes are sparkling with ideas at how I could save them all. I can tell she really loves her job and is really striving to make things better for all of them. Coming out of the coffin had to be just as traumatic to them as it was to us. "Oh but I am getting ahead of myself, all of this is best saved for another time. So what happened next? How did Eric become involved in the picture?"

"Well, Bill he pursued me for awhile. He was always hanging around my house. Trying to constantly impress my Gran, I found him to be… tiresome, but sweet. He fascinated me, but there were things about him that didn't feel… right, I guess that would be the best way to put it. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't all that interested in dating him. Sure he was very attractive but I just couldn't let myself become that interested in him. Then I had that run in with those awful people, excuse me, vampires that he used to associate himself with."

"What vampires?"

"Diane, Malcolm, and umm… the big bald one with the funky tattoos… shoot what's his name?" I rack my brain trying to remember.

"Liam," Nan says.

"Yeah, that's it Liam. Anyways, I had been trying to help Bill out, getting numbers to various contractors and such for him to get his place fixed up. I showed up and those three poor excuses were there, and they scared the hell out of me. They threatened me, wanted to drain me, and Bill just stood there." I shudder at the memory. "It wasn't till I saved his sorry ass from getting Hep D that he saved me from getting snacked on, and he told them I was his. Although I had certainly never given him any indication of the sort, after that he was just always kind of around. Behaving like he was my boyfriend, and acting like he was my protector or something. It annoyed me at first. It wasn't until later that I appreciated it."

I shrug again, I knew I was going to have to get to talking about my Gran but I wasn't quite ready for that. "So, when I needed to go to Fangtasia to help my idiot of a brother get out of trouble, again, Bill volunteered to be my escort. That is how I met Eric."

"Why did you have to go to Fangtasia to help out your brother? Did he get into some trouble with vampires?"

"No, nothing like that, there was a serial killer in my home town. He was preying on women who associated themselves with vampires and my brother, being the town slut, was the only other commonality between them. Seeing how the women were strangled and not drained he was of course, the best suspect the police could come up with. I went to Fangtasia, in the hopes that I could find something, anything to help him. I guess I must have caught Eric's attention because he ended up pulling me up onto that obnoxious throne of his and questioning me about why I was there. Well, that and Eric being Eric, wanted to know if Bill was quite attached to me. You know Eric, he thinks he's God's gift to women everywhere and that every woman will just throw herself at him, without any thought of dignity or decency."

Both Isabelle and Nan start to laugh uncontrollably, both of them clutching to their sides as if they couldn't catch their breath. I didn't really think it was all that funny, but hey who am I to stop their fun? "What it's true!" I say. "Even if he and I are… well I am not really sure what we are, but I know he is an arrogant bastard at times."

"I can see why Eric is so smitten with you Sookie. I don't think there has been a woman… well ever, to turn him down and call him on his malarkey," Isabelle says, laughing lightly.

I just shrug. "Well, anyway Eric found out about my telepathy that night and has been hounding me ever since. Bill on the other hand, upped his game, and perused me even harder after that night. It wasn't until…" I choke back a sob, praying that I could hold it together, "the killer broke into my house and killed my Gran that I ended up giving in and letting Bill into my life completely. He was there for me during one of the most painful experiences in my life, and I was just so tired of not having anyone who actually cares, that I was desperate for any crumb of affection thrown my way. Gran was the only one who had ever really been there for me and when I lost her I felt like my world had ended."

Isabelle and Nan both look at me with compassion in their eyes. The glittering humor of Eric and his arrogance is forgotten at my own personal tragedy. If only they really understood how bad it really was for me. This stuff, the supernatural crap I had endured recently, only scratches the surface of the black hole that is my life. Isabelle strokes my back lightly for comfort and Nan pats my knee. I really appreciate their gestures; they don't have to do it, they are tough as nails vampire bitches, after all. The fact that they let this softer side show means a great deal to me. I knew all vampires weren't evil soul-less monsters, despite what the FotS might say. I had always known that they were just like everyone else. They had their good and their bad; you just had to look past the scary stuff, like the possibility of getting drained, in order to see the good stuff.

"So, did you and Eric have any other interactions?" Nan prods, trying to get the conversation rolling again, and steering it away from the still raw wound that is the senseless murder of my Gran.

"Yeah," I smile at her. "It wasn't exactly a pleasant meeting. Life around Eric is never boring to say the least. Several months later he calls Bill up and demands my services in helping him find out who was stealing from his bar. I go of course, because Bill told me that we had no choice. Long story short, I found out it was his bartender, Longshadow, who was steeling the money. When he knew he had been found out he attacked me and Eric staked his ass," I say with more than a hint of pride at his rescue of me. Of course at the time I had just been annoyed as hell that I owed him for the rescue and that I was covered head to toe in what remained of my would be dispatcher.

"Wait, what? Eric staked Longshadow? I had heard that Longshadow had met his final death, but I never bothered to find out all of the details."

"Yep."

"I just can't believe it, I mean, no offense Sookie, I know you are valuable as a telepath and all that, but it is just unheard of that a vampire would do something so… so… moronic."

My mouth falls open in disbelief. I am actually quite proud of Eric for stopping that asshole from killing me and here Nan is calling him a moron. It raised my hackles; Eric has saved me time and time again from the craziness that went on around me. He is a good man. Well, if you would have asked me a week ago I wouldn't have said that, but that isn't the point. This isn't a week ago, this is now, and things were different between us.

I am trying to find an appropriate way to tell Nan to shove it, when Isabelle swoops in and saves my ass. Sometimes my mouth runs off and my brain doesn't play catch up quick enough to save me from making stupid decisions. "Nan, he cares for the girl, it is obvious. Could you really say that you wouldn't have done the same thing? What if it was Fredrick standing there, helpless and in desperate need of rescue?"

"I… uh… that's not the point… damn it Isabelle."

Isabelle waves off the curse like it is nothing more than an annoying fly buzzing around her head. "You of all people can understand what it is like to love a human. So don't go and get all high and mighty that Eric is capable of doing the same thing. You and Fredrick have been together a long time, and just because most people don't know about him, doesn't mean you get to look down your nose at others. It is just us, you can't pull that high and mighty crap when I KNOW better."

"All right, all right, I get it, you win. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." Isabelle smiles smugly at her. Apparently, Nan has a few skeletons in her closet that she doesn't want revealed to the world. Including the fact that she has a human companion, whom she apparently cares for a great deal.

"So, how did you end up coming to Dallas?" Nan says coolly, turning the conversation back to me and my fucked up life. Thanks Nan.

"Eric of course. Who else would drag me into all this craziness, only to turn around and rescue me from it as well?" I laugh lightly. "He called Bill and requested our presence at his club, on the way we were ambushed by a maenad, Eric saved me again of course, but that is a little off topic. Anyway, he heard that Godric had been captured and asked for my help in tracking him down. After a tense negation, where his face became acquainted with the palm of my hand, I agreed to come and help him."

"Wait, was that a fancy way of saying you slapped him?" Nan asks incredulously.

"Umm yeah, he was being a jerk and he deserved it."

Nan snorts, clearly amused by the idea of little ol' me slapping the hell out of Eric, but after her last little barb at a situation I could tell she isn't about to run off at the mouth about it. "Tell me about the bombing?"

"Not much to tell, outside of what you have already heard. I had helped find Godric, well sort of. He kind of just appeared when I was attacked at the church, swooping in to rescue me. Damn," I laugh to myself lightly, "I just realized I seem to be the constant damsel in distress, in need of rescuing by many brave knights. I always wanted my life to be a fairy tale, but this is a little much." I laugh again and shake my head and force myself to focus on the topic.

"We all went back to the nest to celebrate. I got into an altercation with Bill's maker and Godric told Bill to escort her from the party. I was talking with Eric and Godric about Bill, some things were starting to come into focus about him. He wasn't what he appeared to be and watching him interact with Lorena was bringing that back into focus for me. I guess I kind of knew that all along, but he had been so kind to me after my Gran's passing that I didn't really want to admit it to myself. Luke came in, said his little spiel, and set off the bomb. Godric and Eric protected me from the blast. I don't think I had a scratch on me."

"So, did you really save Godric and Eric after the bombing or are they just talking you up to make you look good?"

I shrug. "I guess."

"Don't be modest Sookie," Isabelle says, scolding me lightly.

"I don't really think I am any kind of hero or anything Isabelle. I just did what I had to do. Ya'll couldn't get the silver out, so I did. Things had to get organized so that everyone would be safe. I also figured that if any of the others had silver in them none of ya'll could do it, so why not use the humans who were still standing? I just did what I had to."

Isabelle cups the side of my face, forcing me to look into her eyes. "I saw you Sookie, after the bomb went off. I saw the horror and pain in your eyes. You have never seen such violence in your life and you were frightened."

"Of course I was! Who wouldn't be?"

"Yes mio piccolo sole (my little sun) but not everyone would then put on a brave face and do what you did. I have lived a long time Sookie, I lived through the bubonic plague, the Spanish inquisition, and the Salem witch trials, and I have seen many horrors in my time walking this Earth. But the scene at the nest the other night was the worst horror by far for me. Maybe that is because it is so fresh in my memory, but I have never seen it's like in all my time. Most people, when faced with such a devastating tragedy, would have run screaming from the room or fallen apart completely. But you mio piccolo sole, you pulled it together and with a cool head on your shoulders, barked orders like an experienced general. You should be proud of your actions that night, you were very brave. I know I am proud of you and I know without a shadow of doubt that Eric and Godric are even prouder."

I feel my cheeks flush heavily with the compliment; no one has ever looked me in the eye and told me they were proud of me, not even my Gran. I always knew that she was, but it is nice to hear the words every now and then. "Amazing, simply amazing," Nan says. I can hear the amusement in her voice and Isabelle and I pull ourselves from our little 'moment' to look at her.

"What is it that you find so amazing my old friend?" Isabelle asks.

"Everything about this girl is amazing. The little she has told us about her life speaks of many trials that she has not only endured, but overcome without too much hardship. She stands up to vampires and physically assaults them without even flinching. She has vampires rescuing her right and left from the trouble she always seems to find herself in. She has not one but two of the most powerful vampires in all of the country head over heels in love with her. She, from what I can tell, has an ENTIRE nest of vampires ready to fight for her and she is modest to boot. What about this isn't amazing Isabelle? I have never seen anyone like you Sookie, ever. It amazes and baffles me all at the same time. You are like a giant Rubik's cube that I can't quite work out."

"I always hated those damn things anyways, so I never even bothered trying." I laugh, trying to get everyone off this line of thought. Although, I enjoy the flattery, I feel uncomfortable by it. It's almost like being examined under a really big microscope, poked, prodded, and dissected to find out how I tick. Not a comfortable feeling at all when you know that the people you are currently alone with could actually do just that.

Nan clears her throat. "Yes, well let's move on shall we? I know this is hard but I need to know what happened after Bill took you from the nest."

I feel the blood drain from my face, not only at the suddenness of the question but also at having to relive that shitty ass experience. I am really not ready to face that shit. "NAN!" Isabelle says sternly.

"What? She has to talk about it. It is the reason we are in here after all. I have to know Isabelle, you know this."

"Yes, I do, but you could have a little more tact and decency," Isabelle says, narrowing her eyes at Nan, and silently scolding her for being so rude.

To my amazement she looks thoroughly ashamed of herself. "I apologize Sookie. You have to tell me though. I need to know what happened so I can figure out how to fix this cluster fuck of a problem."

I sigh heavily. "I know. Bill, he came into the nest, I am not really sure what all he saw, but he didn't draw attention to himself until after I had helped Eric. He took me. Godric tried to get him to let me go, but Bill had gone crazy, screaming how I had betrayed him or some such nonsense. I wanted to stay with Godric and Eric. I didn't want to leave. I knew something wasn't right about Bill's reaction, but I didn't think… I didn't know that they could have stopped him from taking me. If I had only known…" Tears begin to roll down my face and Isabelle rubs small circles on my back, trying to comfort me, the only way she could.

I swallow, and my throat feels raw, as if it had been scrubbed thoroughly with sandpaper. Nan walks over, to the previously unnoticed mini-fridge, and grabs me one of those fancy bottled waters. "Thank you." I nod at her in appreciation and she returns it in kind. I take several long pulls of the cool liquid that is burning my raw throat. "He threw me into the limo. He said all kinds of horrible things to me. I didn't realize how much danger I was really in. He had never been mean, or harsh with me. Hell, he had never even raised his voice to me before that night. I may have had moments where I didn't feel comfortable with him, but I never thought… I never knew that he was capable of something like this."

My throat starts to itch again with the emotions that were bottling up inside, and they wanted desperately to come pouring out. I know though that if I loose control, even for a second, I will never be able to get through this story. "It started in the car," I say quietly, almost in a whisper so quiet that I wonder if they could even hear me, but neither one of them asked me to speak up, so I assume they heard me.

"He hit me, so hard and so quick, that it took me awhile to even realize that he had done it. When we got to the hotel, I was determined to get away from him. I still didn't understand that there was no way he was letting me go anywhere. He tried to drag me from the car but I fought him. I kicked him so hard and so unexpectedly that he hit his head on the edge of the bar. I thought that he was knocked out. All I wanted to do was just get away, call Eric, call Godric, call anybody really, and get away from this man who I was supposed to be in love with and who was supposed to love me. I had finally realized that something was really wrong with him. I knew that he was going to hurt me, badly. I saw it in his eyes, all of the terrible things that he had planned and there wasn't a single shred of remorse that he was going to do it."

I clear my throat and push on. "While he was knocked out I climbed over him, hoping that I would be able to escape. I guess he was just playing possum, that or he heals really quickly, because I didn't even make it out of the car. He got me out of the limo, kicking and screaming the whole time, he drug me through the lobby and I begged everyone that saw us for help."

I hear both Isabelle and Nan gasp at that. "There were other humans around?" Nan asks.

"Yes," I say sadly, "many, many others and they all just watched him take me. Not a single one of them said one word, or even tried to help. I don't really blame them for being scared of what he would do to them if they stepped in, but it is a little disappointing that no one even bothered to try."

I take another long sip off my water, and try to gather my thoughts. "He took me to the room. I managed to get away from him when we reached the doorway. I dislocated his knee and he went down, I didn't get far before he had snatched me up by my hair and drug me back down the hallway. He threw me into the room and I knew things were only going to get worse. He… he beat me… badly. Fractured my cheekbone and blackened my eyes, split my lips and cracked my jaw. He… when he was done beating me he took me into the bedroom and he… he raped me, breaking my pelvis with the force of his brutishness. He knew he broke my pelvis too, because he pressed my hips together so that the fracture would cause more pain. He broke my ribs, a set at a time, telling me that if he did it just right he wouldn't puncture my lungs or heart. He was planning on torturing me plain and simple. I think he got to eight ribs when Eric and Godric showed up. I asked for their protection, Eric glamoured me so that I would sleep until they could heal me, and that is all she wrote. I don't know what happened after that. I woke up in Godric's house some time later and the three of us had another blood exchange."

I look between Isabelle and Nan and see the same shocked looks of horror and disbelief on their faces at what I had been through. "How did you know about asking for protection from Godric and Eric?" Nan asks, stumbling over her words and clearly trying to compose herself.

"Bill told me," I laugh mirthlessly. "When he was beating me, he clued me in on the little loop-hole and that I had no one but myself to blame for being under his tender care. He told me that if I would have only asked Godric and Eric for protection back at the nest, he would have had no options but to let me go." I shrug.

"I don't think that he realized that they would come after me when they sensed that I was in trouble. Although, I doubt that my asking for protection would have really stopped them from getting me away from Bill. I am actually kind of surprised that he is still standing."

"That surprises me as well," Nan confesses. "There has to be a reason. I mean Eric staked Longshadow just for threatening you and yet Bill did something far worse and he is still alive. There has to be something else to it. Did Bill mention anything else that you can think of that would be important?"

I think about that for a minute, trying to replay the conversations that Bill and I had, trying to not become overwhelmed by the circumstances surrounding them. "He mentioned his Queen," I say slowly. "He told me that I was meant to be her telepath. That she had sent him to my home town to acquire me for her. He was supposed to play the besotted boyfriend and then do me the great honor of introducing me to her. He told me that once I got my introduction that he was then supposed to turn abusive and that somehow I was going to be clued into the protection loophole, and turn to the queen for help. I think it was going to be done this way so she would come off smelling like roses in the situation. She would get what she wanted and never actually get her hands dirty."

Nan thinks about everything I say for awhile; she just sits there staring off into space turning it all over in her mind. I can almost see the chess pieces moving about in her head, while she contemplates every angle. "What is that you want to do Sookie? Do you want to be with Eric and Godric or do you want to go to the Queen?"

"There is no way I want to be with that fucking Queen, excuse my French. She sent that asshole after me and look at what he did. Even if he hadn't lost his cool now, he had planned to, at the very least, beat me later. Maybe it wouldn't have been as bad if it hadn't deviated from her original plans, but that doesn't really matter now does it. He was still pretending that he loved me, he still was planning on beating the shit out of me, and he still beat the shit out of me, and raped me. I don't want anything to do with either one of them."

I take a deep breath to calm myself, I was on the edge of a full blown tirade and if I wasn't careful I would go out to the living room where that fucker sat less than twenty feet away and stake his ass myself. Regardless of the consequences, that fucker betrayed my trust; he deserved whatever punishment he got as far as I am concerned.

I sigh heavily. "I really would like to be with Eric and Godric. I think we have the potential to have something really good going between the three of us, but I just don't see how that is possible. There are so many issues with it."

"Such as?" Nan asks.

"Well, for one Godric lives here in Texas and Eric and I live in Louisiana. I am sure we could sort that all out somehow, but I could never ask Godric to give up his life here, let alone his position. The same goes for Eric. He has a life in Shreveport, a successful business, a good position in the vampire hierarchy. I could never ask him to leave all of that behind to move to Texas. My job, my house, my family, my life, is all kind of moot because really, if I am going to be honest here, I work as a waitress, and I can do that anywhere. Sam can learn to live without me. He will be upset but I can't please everyone. My house, well, I don't particularly like living there to be perfectly frank, my Gran was murdered in my kitchen and I am all by myself there. Not to mention the fact that I live across the way from that asshole Bill. My family, hell all I have left is Jason and he and I have never been all that close, I think he could live without me being there to nag him to death. My life, really I don't have much of one, outside of my job so that kind of rules that question out right there. Then there is this Queen to consider, does she like rule all of you vampires or what?"

"No," Nan smiles and laughs lightly, "she only rules over Louisiana, she has no power anywhere else in the country."

"So that means Eric works for her right?"

"Yes, Eric answers to her. He is her Sheriff, her watches over area five for her and a report to her of any going-ons there. If there is a situation in his area he deals with it. But at the end of the night, she is his boss."

"Okay so there's that. What kind of position would I put Eric in if we continue to date and he works for her? She is still going to want me come tomorrow night and I just don't see a way for him to stop her from taking me if she is his boss. I really don't see a solution to any of that."

"I think I do Sookie, but you are going to have to trust me. Can you do that?"

Could I do that? I only just met her, but here behind closed doors I can see a different side to her. Just like Eric, she can't be all nice and sweet and expect to survive in the ruthless world of the supernatural. I look over to Isabelle, maybe for some kind of guidance or direction and she just smiles at me encouragingly. "Yes Nan, I will trust you. If you can make this work and keep us all safe, I will owe you big time."

She smiles at me sweetly, but there is just an edge of cunning behind her eyes that makes me shiver slightly. "Oh trust me Sookie I will hold you to that." She slaps her thighs firmly and stands. "All right then shall we return to the men folk and sort this issue."

I nod and stand to follow her out of the room; just as we reach the door she turns to me and lowers her voice a tad. "Sookie, when we leave this room, I am not going to be Nan your friend anymore. I will be the hard ruthless bitch who gets shit done because they all fear me. You are going to have understand this. I may seem cold, but I am only going to be doing what is best for all of you. Got it?"

"Yep, got it, lead the way obi wan." She raises her eyebrow at me in an unspoken question.

"Star Wars…" I can tell the reference is lost on her and all I can do is roll my eyes. "Never mind. Call me sometime and I will explain it to you."

"I'll do that." She winks at me and then I watch as she pulls the mask of indifferent bitch down over her features. Man, I really have to learn how to do that. I bet it would come in real handy being around all these damn supes all the time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors Notes:** Hey everyone, so I couldn't wait another twenty four hours to post this chapter, so I decided to give it to ya'll a day early. Yay! Seriously though ya'll have been great, there is a ton of new readers out there who have blessed me with some magnificent reviews, and I am feeling truly blessed.

Now for those of you who take the time to actually read my authors notes, I have a home work assignment for all of you. As you all are aware, because I told you last week, I am putting together a website that has all of my stories on them, including original works. Anyways, I am trying to put together a playlist for each chapter for both of my stories, this one and The Dance. The great thing about the site that I am using is that you can imbed music, and pictures into the posts and pages, its fuck awesome.

What is my point you may ask? Well, I am stuck!! I am having a hell of time picking out songs and when I get stuck I tend to not be productive. I have been trying to pick out a song for the Sookie/Lorena fight in chapter 1 for almost a week now and I am not getting anywhere. So I turn to you, my lovely readers to send me your ideas for various songs, for various scenes throughout the entire story. Just send me your ideas; maybe add a little tag that says something like. "I think this song would go well with scene whatever whatever." I would really appreciate it if ya'll help me out here. Seriously I want my site to be really good, and I feel like utilizing the music aspect of the site is important.

Also, if anyone wants to help out by making pictures for the beginning of each chapter that would be awesome as well. I tried, I actually did two, for the first two chapters of this story, but, well, I am not very good with things like that, I think my four year old could have probably done better. Lol. So if you would like to undertake that as well, let me know and I will send you my email address so that you can send them to me.

I know all of this is a lot to ask of you, but I would be immensely grateful if ya'll could take the time to help, even if it is just in little ways. I work really hard on my writing every week and I am trying very hard to make a place for ya'll to utilize it to its fullest potential.

Another quick little tidbit, I have twitter, sigh, I found that it is a necessary thing to help promote my writing and I must admit that it has worked brilliantly. So, if you want to follow me on twitter let me know and I will give you my name there so you can hit me up whenever your little heart's desires. I am always around; I am a stay at home mom/writer so my computer is never far away.

Okay last thing. Tons of love to all of you that have supported me, and a huge thanks to all of you who have sent me your kind words to encourage me by letting me know you love my story. Please continue to do so. It means the world to me. Thanks to all of you the readers and everyone send pleasant thoughts to my beautiful editor Catie, without her my stories wouldn't be nearly as good.

Tons of love from the west coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 9**

**Eric's POV**

I pace restlessly back and forth, forth and back, across the ridiculous suite that was soon to be the turning point of my entire existence. Possibility after possibility of varying outcomes flit through my brain, not a single one taking hold for long before a new, more horrendous outcome would take root and worm its way through the echoing corridors of my mind. So much potential to go very wrong and very little potential of going very right, how likely was I to get my happily ever after? I mean really, I am a vampire, a blood sucking fiend. I have done atrocious things over the space and breadth that has made up my lifetime. There were hundreds, no thousands of different ways this entire cluster fuck could go wrong and only one possibility of going right. With my fate laying in the hands of Nan Flannigan, the coldhearted bitch of the century, the chances of it all working out seemed to be slim to none.

My thoughts spiral into greater and greater morose possibilities and I find myself starting to become frantic. I want, more than anything, to rush through the door that my Sookie has disappeared through and rip her from the clutches of Nan Flannigan and all others of her ilk. The more I think the more it made sense to me that she was going to end up allowing Sookie to be returned to Bill Compton and I would never, NEVER allow such a travesty to be committed.

Sookie deserves better than that, she is special, beyond just the obvious reasons. Yes, she has her telepathy and the possibility of much more, but there is so much more to her than that, she is so much more than that. The fact that she was able to make the chalice glow, when she touched it, just cemented the idea in my head even further, that I could never allow that pitiful excuse for a vampire to touch her again. Hell, he shouldn't even be able to inhabit the same planet as her, let alone the same room.

'_Calm yourself Eric. Your restless thoughts do none of us any good. You will just bring unnecessary trouble onto our heads. Have faith that Nan's decision will be just.' _I flinch just a fraction of movement, too small for anyone else in the room to notice. It has been centuries since Godric has chosen to speak to me this way. He is the only one I have ever been able to do this with, not even Pam and I have this connection. As if reading my thoughts, for all I know he really is, Godric says, _'You know very well why you cannot speak to Pam in this manner.'_

'_The chalice.' _I nod in comprehension.

'_Yes and no.'_

'_Why do you always do that!? Give me half answers to questions that deserve to be answered fully. We have had our bond a long time Godric and I KNOW that you have yet to reveal everything to me.'_

He sighs visibly and just stares at me for a long moment, contemplating my anger and his answer. _'The Chalice is a large part of why we are connected the way that we are, but I think that there is more to it than that.'_

'_You think. You THINK! Why do you not know? It is your damn chalice after all. It is your damn bond. It was you that started all of this. Why do you not have the answers? Why? TELL ME!'_

'_Eric, do you really think that I could possibly know everything there is to know about a magical gift from the Gods. I know nothing; I was given a gift, a reward for services rendered. Most of what I know I can only guess at. What I know to be fact I have told you already. So, in essence I have been completely forthright with you.'_

I roll my eyes at that. _'Care to make an educated guess then?'_

'_Not really, no. Now is not the time for such matters, you are deflecting your anger at the situation onto me and you are not going to be reasonable to what I have to say. You know the story of the origins already; you will pass that story onto Sookie when the time is right. I have the utmost confidence that the two of you will figure out the rest. In time.'_

Something about that statement throws me off, it is just wrong. _'Wait, what do you mean Godric? The two of us? I do not understand, you speak as if you will not be around.'_

'_It doesn't matter. Focus on the girl, she is the key, of that I am positive. You need to work that brilliant brain of yours in planning. Sophie Anne will not take the loss of Sookie lightly. She will move against you and she will try to take the girl. If you are not careful and prepared she will succeed. One thing you can be certain of is that if Sophie Anne gets her claws into our beloved Sookie, she will suffer a far worse fate than anything that Compton did to her.'_

His words spin in my head, creating plans and back up plans that will keep Sookie safe, not only from Sophie Anne, but also from every supernatural being on the planet. Sophie Anne won't be the only one who seeks to steal her away. Godric's words replay in my head and I realize that once again he is curiously missing from the future plans of Sookie's life. _'Godric, why are you speaking like you will not be there with me to help protect her?'_

Godric just stares at me, refusing to answer my question and it hangs in the air between us**.** I can almost feel the vibration of it because the tension is forming from the unspoken answer. Godric pulls his soft, sorrowful eyes away from me and looks at the door Sookie had entered. A small smile peeked at the corner of his mouth. I cocked my head at him; I could see the happiness that she brought him. So why would he not include himself in her future?

'_Godric…' _He looked up at me and I watch as the smile falters slightly from his face. _'Why have you not included yourself in her future? You clearly love her.' _A small amount of the warmth that had fled from his face suddenly reappeared, yes he definitely loved her. So why would he not be around for her, for me, for us?

'_Godric, do you think that I would come between the two of you? Do you think that I would stop you from having her, just as I have her? Or are you being gracious and bowing out so that I can have happiness? I know that you were with her, I could still taste you on her skin__**.**__ I would never stand between the two of you. I want the three of us to be together. There is no reason why it would not work, the three of us I mean. The chalice clearly thinks we belong together. So why are you not included in our future?'_

He sighs heavily and I think that he is going to refuse to answer my questions. I can feel how heavy his heart is and I know that he is so very hurt by being alone. My brain is just refusing to put together the answers to the questions; it is refusing to see the solution that I know is staring me in my face. _'Sometimes Eric, things are just not meant to be, even if you desperately want them to be.'_ He says and his voice in my head is but a mere whisper.

Well what the fuck does that mean? I am even more confused now than I was before. I open my mouth to demand an explanation from him, when the door Sookie had exited through opens, revealing my little blonde miracle. My head snaps towards the sound and I watch Nan re-enter the room followed by Sookie and Isabelle. Sookie is a mess, her hair is mussed and her eyes and nose are swollen from obviously crying. A small growl escapes my lips at the sight and I stride across the room taking Sookie in my arms, and pull her tightly into my chest.

"Sit Viking, she is fine." Nan snaps at me. Oh how I wish I had a nice sharp pointy object handy. I would shove through that bitch's eye.

"Are you alright?" I whisper to Sookie, gently brushing her golden tresses off of her face. A loud snarl comes from my rear, followed by the distinct sound of flesh hitting flesh. I turn my head and see Bill sprawled out on the floor, struggling to get at Sookie and me, with Nan's goon's firmly holding him in place. _'Well at least they're good for something.'_ I think humorously.

'_Indeed.'_ Came Godric's clipped reply to my inner dialog. I look over and notice that he is clenching and unclenching his fists as if they are just itching for an excuse to take Compton's worthless heart.

"Enough of this shit." Nan bellows to the room in general. "Eric sit your fucking ass down now, Compton fucking have some dignity for fucks sake, Sookie join Godric on the couch, Mitch and Garret if any of these assholes so much as rises from their seat a fraction of an inch, end them." Nan's goons nod in compliance and I sulk slightly as I pull Sookie towards the couch, wedging her firmly between Godric and myself. There is no way I am going to trust those goons to protect my Sookie. Anyone who gets close enough to harm her will be ended before they get into an arms length of her presence.

"Good." Nan says brightly clapping her hands together. Fucking frigid bitch, this is like a huge fucking game to her. The chances that she is going to do what is just and right seem to be less and less. Quick plans run through my head in the eventuality of that occurrence. Godric, Isabelle, and I can take Nan and her two goons without any problem. Bill was the wild card; he would have to go first, if things didn't go our way; they would all be dust in the ground the moment she rendered her judgment in Compton's favor.

I look to Godric, to see if he is listening in on my scheming and to see if he will go along with what I have in mind. He just nods once, almost imperceptibly, in agreement. Good, no matter what Sookie will not be taken tonight. I feel something in me relax at this thought. No matter what, Sookie will be safe. We may have to disappear, but she will be safe. I bet she would love Ireland. I could just see her flitting about the endless emerald hills, happy and content in our new life. Yeah, Ireland is as good a place as any to disappear without a trace. Plus it helps that I have an untraceable alternate identity there.

"So I have a few more questions to ask the rest of you before I render my verdict on all of tonight's issues." Nan says pulling me from my thoughts. "Bill," Nan says lowering her voice and turning her attention to the fucking waste of space, "did you drag Sookie from Godric's nest after she had just saved the sheriffs of two different areas?"

"Well… I… it was my right!" Bill squirms uncomfortably.

"That is not what I asked, now answer the question. Did you drag Sookie from the nest, yes or no?"

"Yes." Bill says sullenly.

"Good, now did both your sheriff and sheriff Godric order you to release the girl before you took her?"

"I…" I can see the argument dying to bubble forth from Bill's lips. I am practically jumping in my seat with excitement that somehow Sookie had convinced Nan to be on our side.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION, I will not ask again."

"Yes." Bill hisses in a low whisper.

"Did you assault her in the limo on the way to the hotel?"

"Yes." Bill snaps his tone and becomes more and more irritated by the second.

"Did you in fact drag her screaming and bloody through a lobby full of humans?"

"Yes."

"Once you managed to finally wrangle her into the room, did you then beat her severally and rape her?" Bill sits quietly staring at his hands; I can see the stubbornness plastered all over his face. He knows that this isn't going his way. "Did you?" Nan snaps as she begins to tap her toe in impatience at his reluctance to answering the questions.

"YES! She is MINE; I can and did do with her what I pleased. She is a worthless fucking blood bag to be used and discarded at my leisure and you cannot condemn me for that. You don't have the power."

Nan smirks, "Before I address the issue you pointed out there Mr. Compton, I have one more question. When Godric and Eric came to rescue the girl did she ask for their protection from you?"

"Uhh… well… it doesn't…"

"I am waiting Compton answer the question. Did Sookie ask Godric and Eric for their protection when they entered your hotel suite?"

"They had no business being there in the first place."

"That is not the point, but since you brought that up**,** they do indeed have the right to enter any domicile housing a vampire, to make sure that nothing illegal is going on. So, I ask again, and I warn you that I am running out of patience, did Ms Stackhouse ask Godric and Eric for protection when they entered your hotel suite?"

Bill narrows his eyes at Nan; he looks as if he is trying to set fire to her with his mind. If the matters at hand weren't so grave I would be laughing my ass off at him. Bill juts his chin stubbornly and crosses his arms across his chest, clearly refusing to answer the question. He knew, just as much as any vampire knew, that if your un-bonded human asked for protection from another vampire that the former vampire's rights were null and void.

Nan narrows her icy gaze on him, clearly pissed that he is refusing to answer her. "Very well then Compton if you do not wish to answer at the moment, I will ask my questions of your sheriff and sheriff Godric. Perhaps by the time I am through with them you will be more inclined to answer."

Nan turns her white blond head towards Godric and I, raises an eyebrow, clearly pondering what her first question will be. "Godric, why did you enter the suite of Mr. Compton?"

"Eric and I were at the nest; we felt Sookie's pain and knew that Compton was harming her. Eric and I went to investigate an illegal activity, which we both knew for a fact was occurring. He had been warned before he left the nest and blatantly choose to ignore it."

"You felt her pain?" she pauses for but a moment contemplating those words. "Ah yes, she valiantly," she stretches the word valiantly in a sarcastic tone, "rescued you and the Viking from your final deaths by sucking silver from you. Although I am positive that you do not feel the emotions of a human without a blood exchange, so am I correct in assuming that you also took from her?"

"Yes," Godric says simply.

"YOU SEE!" Bill screeches, "They admit their guilt. They should never have taken blood from MY human without my permission and I most certainly would never have granted it!"

I open my mouth, incensed at his idiocy. I am going to scream, yell, cuss, beat, and kill that fucker. Before I even have an opportunity for the first letter to pass my lip though, Nan raises her hand to silence me. She shoots me a quick glare of warning and then does something I will never forget for all of my days, she looks over at Sookie and gives her a quick wink. What the fuck? Perhaps they had bonded a little more than I thought; how the hell did Sookie do it? She was always doing things like this though; she would take the roughest, hardest, meanest vamp around, and they would become her best friend. It is truly an amazing feat; all the vamps that meet her just love her instantly. Except Bill. Now there is some food for thought, maybe she can't bring out the good in a vampire if there isn't any good there in the first place.

"Indeed I see your point Bill," Nan says as she turns to Godric and asks, "You admit to taking blood from Sookie, of your own free will without Bill's permission?"

"No."

Nan narrows her eyes at him, "But you just said that you exchanged with her. Are you now retracting that statement?"

"No, I said that that there was an exchange. I never said it was of my own free will. I was unconscious at the time. I had no say in it taking place. The moment that I became aware of her giving me her blood, I withdrew. I would never take from another vampire without his or her permission."

"Hmmm… and you Viking did you exchange with Sookie?"

"Yes, I did and before you ask, I too was unaware of Sookie taking my blood when she removed the bullets, as well as giving me hers to help bring me back to health. Also like Godric the moment that I came to my senses I withdrew."

"Good." She turns to Bill and says, "Well there goes that claim. They are not guilty of committing that crime. Did you ever inform Sookie that she was never to take another vampires blood or give her own to another vampire?"

Bill crosses his arms again, once again refusing to answer the question because that asshole knows that he is wrong. Nan just sighs and turns to Sookie. "Sookie, did Mr. Compton ever inform you that you were not to start a blood bond with another vampire or exchange blood in any way with other vampires?"

Sookie closes her eyes, clearly thinking through every single conversation they ever had to be sure her answer was honest. _How sweet_, I think sarcastically. Even if he had she should just lie about it, but then again, she wouldn't be who she is if she just lied openly. "No, not that I can remember, and I don't even know what a blood bond is, so I know for a fact he never mentioned anything about it."

Nan turns to Bill with a look that screams that she has him in her sights and is ready to go in for the kill. "Well, once again Bill, I find that Godric and Eric are not guilty of any indiscretion in taking Sookie's blood or her taking theirs. Since it is quite clear to me that you never explained what a blood bond is to your human, nor did you order her never to take blood from another, how could they be guilty? They can't be so, let's just move on from that shall we? Are you ready to answer my question yet? Did Sookie ask for Eric and Godric's protection when they entered the hotel room?"

Bill crosses his arms and looks away from her; he really doesn't want to answer that question, and I can see him scrambling to come up with something, anything in order to win this fight. I know though that it is a losing battle; he will lose, and he will suffer greatly for what he did. "Very well than Compton, you can be stubborn but it will do you no good. You will answer eventually. Godric, when you entered Compton's hotel suite what did you find?"

"We found Sookie, face down, in her own bile. It was clear that she had been beaten badly by him. I could make out the bruises shaped like his hands and fingers all over her body. I could tell that he had raped her as well, she was naked for one and for another I could smell his seed spilled within her, and she was clearly in no condition to have consented to anything. The moment she was aware that we had come into the room, she asked us for our protection and I granted it, and the rest as the humans say is history."

Nan nods once at him and looks at me. "Do you have anything to add Eric?"

"No, it happened as my maker stated. We came into the room, assessed the situation, noting that Sookie had indeed been badly abused in multiple ways**.** I went to her immediately helping her roll over, and while Godric dealt with Compton, Sookie asked for our protection and then I glamoured her."

Nan turns to Bill, her icy glare boring into him. "Now, you have to answer. I have heard the testimony of three different people stating that Sookie did indeed ask for protection from Eric and Godric. So, Bill, when Eric and Godric came into the room did Sookie indeed ask for their protection? And before you stubbornly protest, I warn you my patience has run out and if you refuse to answer I am going to put the heel of my shoe through your eye. I have been told that it is most excruciating having a silver spiked heel shoved through the eye socket and into the brain. Some vampires never recover from such an injury; I would suggest you think on that before you refuse me for a third time. I have been generous so far, but I warn you I can be cruel."

Bill blanches at the threat, he knows she is serious, and I can't help but do an eternal happy dance that he is squirming. "Yes, she did indeed ask for their protection when they came into my hotel room."

"So why are you wasting my fucking time then? They have done nothing wrong. In fact it is you who has violated a multitude of laws, not them."

"I have done no such thing!" he says astounded.

"Really? You took the girl, beat her, raped her, drug her through a lobby full of humans bloody and screaming for help. You blatantly disobeyed your sheriff and the sheriff whose area you are in. You admitted that he warned you not to take the girl, not to be rough with the girl, but you refused to listen. Then last night after he rescued the girl from your nefarious deeds you were ordered from his area or face final death and dismemberment and yet you still refused to listen. You brought this mockery of a case before me, wasting my precious time and energy when you were clearly in the wrong. You have done nothing but make a fool of yourself all over a human girl. Do you have anything to say for yourself or your actions before I sentence you?"

"It doesn't matter what you say, your judgment will be overridden. You do not have the power and I will take the girl. She does not belong to them she belongs to my queen."

"Really?" Nan says cocking her head slightly reminding me of a bird eying the mouse that has just walked into its sights.

"Yes really you stupid bitch. She is the queen's and if you do not return her to me, your miserable existence will be ended," Bill threatens and I have to give him some props for his sheer unmitigated gall at such a threat.

"Bill, are you aware that there have been changes in the laws since we have come out of the coffin?" Bill tries to stutter a response but Nan quickly cuts him off. "Shut up you fucking idiot. This is easily rectified." She snaps her head around and brings Sookie into her sights. "Sookie do you, or have you ever, belonged to Queen Sophie Anne of Louisiana?"

"No, I most certainly do not! How could I belong to some queen I have never even met?" Sookie responds admittedly.

"Well, that's settled then. You see Bill she does not belong to your Queen."

"But…"

"Oh, wait there are further questions of who she belongs to." This time Nan doesn't even take her eyes off of Bill and asks Sookie, "Sookie to whom do you belong?"

"Godric and Eric," Sookie says proudly.

"You see Bill, she admits she belongs to Godric and Eric. Now how is it that she would belong to a queen she has never met."

"The Queen wants the girl… I… uh… was supposed to… umm… acquire her," Bill says, stuttering and becoming more and more nervous by the second.

"Really?" Nan says in an odd mixture of pleasure and sarcasm.

"Well, yes. So you see Nan, that blood bag belongs to the Queen and no matter what you order she will be returned to her rightful place. Which is at my side," Bill says boldly clearly building up a little backbone. Man he was fucking stupid. I know he is walking into some form of a trap that Nan is laying before him like a big, fat, sparkly gift, and just like a kid on Christmas morning, he can't resist.

"Is that so?" Nan asks, giving Bill the last little inch of rope he needs to hang himself with.

"Yes that is correct. You are so fucked, not only have you crossed the wrong vampire, but you crossed a queen. You are such an idiot Nan, when I am through with you, you will be polishing my shoes with your tongue. That is if you are lucky enough to still be alive, once my queen hears of your treachery if you dare to defy her."

Nan leans forward, teetering on the edge of her chair and lowers her voice. "Tell me Compton, do you see your queen here?"

Bill looked taken aback by the question. "Of course not, don't be stupid."

"I just wanted to make sure that we were clear on that point. Bill, were you aware that The Council and the magister have created new rules and guidelines that we all must abide by now that we are out of the coffin?"

"Yes I have seen those," he snorts disgustedly, "ridiculous rules. They are beneath us. No real vampire would live by them."

"Really, hmmm I find it most fascinating that you feel that way. Were you also aware that when I took the position as head of the VRA I was given total power in dealing with vampires who choose to break the laws?" Bill beings to open his mouth to protest but Nan stands quickly and darts across the room lifting Bill by his throat. "Even if your ridiculous queen was here, I would still find in favor of Ms Stackhouse. You have broken every single one of our new rules that were set in place to help our transition into society be an easy one. Neither you, or your fucking queen will ever, EVER lay a finger on Ms Stackhouse."

Nan throws Bill roughly to the floor and places her beautiful, wonderful, magnificent, sharp, pointy, silver heel into Bill's quivering chest. "I find you guilty. If you ever come in the same state that Sookie resides in, even if you had no clue she was living there, you will be instantly put to your final death. I will make sure that every single sheriff, king, and queen the world over knows this. As for your punishment, hmm, I am feeling generous, and I will defer to your most beloved queen in this matter. I am sure that she will more than enjoy putting you in your proper place after having screwed her so enormously. For she too is banned from ever residing in the same state as Sookie."

"But she is the queen of Louisiana, if Sookie chooses to return home, she would have to give up her throne. You can't do that, it's not fair."

"Do I look like I give a fuck? She put herself in this position, and you won't be seeing me or anyone else on The Council for that matter, shed a tear if Sophie Anne is forced to abdicate her ill gotten throne. Now get out so I can finish with the rest of this meeting. You have twenty minutes to be out of the state of Texas or I will stake your ass myself."

Nan kicks Bill hard in his side, and I can hear a few of his ribs crack. I can't help but to let out a little laugh, that I quickly try to cover with a cough. "How will I know if Sookie chooses to return home?"

"Hmm, you won't. Not my problem. Not my concern. Yours and yours alone. Do tell Sophie that I send my warmest regards." With that Bill is gone, off into the night and hopefully out of our lives. Although he is punished and probably will be filleted for his idiocy on this trip, I feel that he got off way too easy after all that he has done. If I ever lay my eyes upon his weaselly ass again I will pluck them from his skull and use his brain as a cum dumpster. Fucking asshole.

"What a fucking fiasco. You're lucky I don't send you all to the magister." Nan sighs and sits back down in her chair and turns to Isabelle, Godric, Sookie, and myself. "Godric, you're fired, you fucked up, good news is I may have a new position for you in the near future. Until then though you are to train your replacement. Eric, you are going to take over as sheriff of area nine and I am placing Sookie in your protective custody here in Texas. Sookie I am sorry, but you are going to have to move here. From now on you will be working for the VRA and with your new position you will become protected by The Council. It will prevent future incidents like this from occurring ever again. I will make sure to send for your things and anything else that will help make your transition easier. Did I miss anything?" Nan asks looking around the room at each of us in turn.

Nan has just turned all of our worlds upside down and yet fixed every single issue that we had with a perfection that I would have thought beyond her capability. Yes, I will have to leave my bar, leave my area, but I will have a new bar, a new area, and everything can be rebuilt. Adapt or die, that is the way of a vampire, and this solution will help ensure Sookie's safety. I am extremely grateful, plus the three of us can be together without ever having to worry about forcing the others into giving something up. Nan just did it for us; she made us all give something up so that we could be together.

"Since none of you can think of anything that I may have missed," Nan says, "I will call this meeting to a close. Godric, Eric, and Sookie come to my suite and fill out the necessary forms."

Godric nods in agreement and says, "Soon. First I have something to say. I'm sorry. I apologize for all the harm I've caused, for all our lost ones, human and vampire. I will make amends, I swear."

"Take it easy it's just a few signatures," Nan says sarcastically as she stands and leaves the room. But something in his words is not sitting right with me.

Flashes of our various conversations flitter through my head, placing pieces of the puzzle here and there and suddenly it all clicks into place. Godric is standing quietly by the window looking out over the city in silent contemplation. "No." I tell him fiercely. I will not allow him to do this. There is no way I am going to allow my maker meet the sun.

"Look in my heart," he says sadly, a tear rolling down his cheek. I can feel his torment, his utter disgust with what he is. After seeing everything that our Sookie has endured at the hands of a vampire it is just too much for him. He has already been thinking about doing it, and watching a gentle creature like Sookie have to endure such travesty is just too much for him to bear.

"You have to listen to me," I beg, as I grab a hold of his bicep firmly. Please Gods don't let him do this.

"What's the matter ya'll?" Sookie asks, sliding up beside us and looking between the two of us. Clearly she is taking in all of the tension that is currently streaking through the air and shocking all those around us like little zaps of electricity. "Eric…" she says slowly. "Godric… what is going on? You two are scaring me. What is the matter?"

Godric looks down at her and smiles warmly for but a moment. I can tell that he is struggling with this decision. He turns his face from her and looks me in my eyes. "There's nothing to say."

"There is," I beg. I can feel the sting of tears behind my eyes and I fiercely force them down. I am not going to cry because he is not going to do this.

"On the roof," Godric says softly and pulls himself from my grip and leaves the room. He left, he just walked away, leaving Sookie and I standing confused and alone in his wake.


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Notes:** So here is the next installment of Shadows of Doubt. Ya'll surprised me by your very strong responses to last week's post. I was really flattered to be honest, that ya'll took such a strong interest in my story that you were voicing your very strong opinions on if Godric should stay or go. Just so everyone knows, I already had this written up last week so I wasn't influenced by everyone's opinions. Hehe.

Now just a personal note, I wanted everyone to know that this last week has not been a good week for me. First I hurt my back, I have an old injury that I just happened to reinjure. It isn't healing as fast as I would like and it has been hard to sit in my computer chair for any length of time to get some writing done. Heck, I could barely sit in my chair long enough to read Ericizmine's new chapters for Dead Tired and Bored to Death. Then to top it all off I have been having to deal with this funky illness that keeps popping up. No one is really sure what it is, but it wipes me out every time I come down with it. So I am warning all of you right now, I am unsure if I will have next weeks chapters out on time. I do have SoD written up, but have not received the edited version back yet. And I have only gotten about a third of the way through the next chapter of The Dance. We will just have to wait and see how I progress during the week. Right now I have zero energy. Just sitting here trying to think how to express myself in my Authors notes is a HUGE challenge for me.

As always thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review my work. It means the world to me and I look forward to hearing from each of you and your thoughts on this chapter as well.

Much love from the west coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 10**

***Eric's POV***

I walk slowly behind Godric, my maker, my best friend, the only other being on this Earth besides Sookie that I have ever loved. Every step towards the roof feels weighed down; I could feel the drag of the Earth's gravity begging me to come into its tender embrace. Who am I fooling, it isn't the Earth begging me to crawl into a hole and die. It was, no, it is, the weight of my emotions that are screaming at me, dragging me down.

If my maker decides to do what I think he will do, and if I can't convince him somehow, someway, to not meet the sun, I will be a broken man. I do not want to walk this place without him. Everything would be a pale imitation of what it once was if I, if we all, were robbed of the magnificence that is Godric. He has been so much more to me then just my maker; he has been my entire world for so long. He has filled every role in my life and until Sookie, I never thought I would need anything else. I know, I have Pam, but it isn't the same. She is… well for lack of a better term, she is simply Pam.

I have maybe an hour at most to convince him that what he is planning on doing is just plain moronic. After that, if I couldn't convince him, I would lose him and something within me will be forever broken. I know this. I will never be the same if he is gone.

My distracted thoughts keep me from realizing that we have reached our final destination. Godric comes to a stop at the edge of the roof; he looks out over the city pensively, deeply withdrawn into himself. I have to figure out something, anything, to say in order to convince him that this is not what he really wants. He has so much; I just cannot wrap my brain around why he would want this. Everything seems to be finally falling into place for him. After all these years, after all that was promised to him in the past that is finally coming to fruition, he is choosing to throw it all away.

"Godric, please don't do this," I say to him quietly. I am unsure if Sookie can even hear, my voice is so quiet it is like an exhale of breath.

"Two thousand years is enough," Godric says as he turns and looks at me over his right shoulder, a small smile on his face. He looks so sad and alone, but he isn't alone now, hell he was never alone in the first place. I don't understand this.

"I can't accept this. It's **insanity**," I say, raising my voice to the point of where I am almost yelling at him. This whole thing is ridiculous. How could he do this? To me? To us?

"Our existence is insanity. We don't belong here," Godric says, his tone still soft, almost condescending, as if he is trying to teach me a valuable lesson as he did in the early days of our time together. As if I am still a small child too stupid, or moronic, to fully grasp the entire situation.

"But we **are here**!" I scream at him.

Godric shakes his head vehemently. "It's not right. We're not right," he says. What the fuck? Where is this even coming from? When did he loose his grasp on reality? We have always been and always would be;he taught me that.

I thought that I saw some of the old fire in his eyes when I watched him with _our_ Sookie, but maybe he is too far gone to realize what he is doing. I have heard stories over the years, of vampires loosing their will to continue on, but I never thought my maker would be one of them.

"You taught me there is no right or wrong**,** only survival or death," I say, hoping that his own lessons to me, thrown back into his face, might do him some good. But like a bucket of ice-cold water thrown back at me, he shocks me by laughing lightly. He is fucking pandering to my whims and patronizing me by indulging my anger.

"I told a lie, as it turns out," he says a larger smile on his face than before. That smile makes me see red. I am angry, more angry than I have ever been in my entire existence. How dare he? I know that he is older than me, but he is very small in physical stature compared to me. I will drag him off this roof kicking and screaming the entire way if I have to. No, not screaming. I would have to prevent him from speaking somehow. It would do no good to have him pulling the _'As your maker I command you,'_ card.

I narrow my eyes at him and practically spit my threat out at him. "I will keep you alive by force."

His smile fades, and I watch a look of disappoint seep into his face, one small line at a time as he frowns at me. "Even if you could why would you be so cruel?" he asks.

"Cruel? I am cruel? You ask me how I can be so cruel? All the while you threaten suicide. How could you do this? How dare you do this?" I feel a sharp pain in my heart and I have the passing thought that this must be what it feels like to be staked. I feel like my heart is being ripped from my chest and that there is a heavy weight preventing me from breathing, even though I didn't need breathe. I feel like I will choke and die, if I can't get just one good breath. I realize that this must be what panic feels like. It has been so long since I have felt it that I have forgotten.

I take a step closer to him; we are so close that if either of us took a deep breath we would be pressed against each other. "Godric don't do it, please," I beg. I am at my wits end as to how I can convince him that this is foolishness.

He reaches up and cups my cheek, rubbing his thumb idly back and forth across my jaw. "There are centuries of faith and love between us," he says softly. I know this is his way of saying that we would always have this, that I would always have the memories of our time together, to see me through the inevitable heartbreak that will ensue after his loss.

"Please… **please**," I beg falling to my knees**.** I feel the rough cement splitting open my knees as I hit the ground, but I don't care. I can't let him do this. "Please Godric**,**" I beg as I clutch at his small waist and burry my face there, willing him to stay. I felt the icy cold streaks of fire burn my cheeks, my nose, my jaw, and I know that I am crying, but I don't care. Maybe, just maybe, showing him these emotions, showing him how much I love him, how much I care, how I still have that bit of humanity, we all try so desperately to suppress, will convince him to stay.

"Father, brother, son, best friend, confidant, lover, let me go. I will always be there for you here," he says as he places his hand on my heart, "and here," he says touching the side of my head.

No, no no no no no no, he can't do this**!** I can't live in this world without him. I refuse to live here without him and I won't ever leave his side. "I won't let you die alone," I say firmly, making up my mind. If he is going to leave this world, I am going with him. I can't and won't endure it without him.

He sighs softly and shakes his head. "Yes you will Eric. I am sorry. I love you," he says and brushes his lips softly against mine. He pulls back, looks me in the eyes, and says, "As your maker I command you, to leave me here and to live."

I feel the magical force of his command wrap around me and pull me to my feet, slowly pulling me backwards away from him. I reach towards him and he steps out of my grasp. "No!" I cry out, but he just shakes his head softly and turns away. I could feel his command still pulling me backwards away from him, and I try to fight it, even though I know it is a losing battle.

Sookie takes both of my hands into hers as I reach her. She must have been standing by the entrance into the building the entire time, silently watching the two of us say our goodbyes. "I'll stay with him as long as it takes," she promises and then kisses my tears away, but I knew there would be more tears. I know in my heart that even if the tears stopped on the outside, I would forever be crying over the loss of my maker, over the tragedy that had befallen the world on this day.

I nod once at her, grateful that at least he will have some comfort from her in his final moments. I slowly walk backwards to the exit, never taking my eyes off of Godric. I could just see the sky starting to lighten and turn pink. Soon, it would be soon, maybe twenty minutes. I finally take that last step off the roof and away from him. I know this will be the last time I ever see my maker and something within me breaks.

***Sookie's POV***

Trudging behind Eric and Godric up the stairs and out onto the roof is no small task. Even though it is apparent that they are both taking their time to get to their final destination, they both still move quickly enough that I have to leg it double time in order to keep up. They both are quite a bit taller than me, and them moving at a quickened pace was just natural for them, I suppose.

I had been elated by the verdict that Nan had laid down for me, for us. It meant that Eric, Godric, and I would all be going into our partnership on even ground. We were all giving something up in order to stay together.

Something though was clearly off. Godric didn't appear happy that I would be staying with him; in fact I got the feeling that he was very discontent at the moment. Eric's reaction, of course was similar to mine, at least until Godric made his little spiel about making up for the injustices he had done, or something along that line. Once he had said that Eric looked like someone had walked over his grave, or maybe shoved a sharp, pointy, wooden object into his chest, would be a better analogy. All the color, not that he had a lot of it in the first place, had drained from his face. Something is really wrong and I just am not seeing what that something is.

I am confused to say the least. I know that something is just wrong with this situation and the more I ponder what is going on the more my head hurts from the effort. We make our way up, up, and up further until we emerged through a large set of heavy fire doors onto the roof. I watch as Godric looks out over the sprawling metropolis and suddenly everything just clicks into place. _Well fuck me_. _I can't believe he would even consider something like this._

Godric is actually considering meeting the sun. Not just considering, but actually preparing to do it. I mean, the very idea is unbelievable. Sure, Nan had said that he was going to meet the sun willingly while he was in the custody of the FotS, but I had thought for sure things were different now. I thought that having both Eric and I in his life would be enough of a difference to make him see that life is worth living.

I watch in tortured silence as Eric begs, pleads, reasons, and screams with and at Godric to not do something so moronic. I couldn't believe what I am seeing, for one I have never seen Eric so… devastated. For another, Godric seems to be a completely different person in this moment. He is depressed and suicidal just like any person who has issues. I know that vampires are not all that different from humans but I mean really, have you ever heard of a depressed, suicidal vampire before? I thought not.

I feel like I am intruding on a very personal moment between them. Well, I guess it is very personal. Godric is saying goodbye to his child, his best friend, before he willingly chooses to die. I cannot even begin to process what this means. At the moment all I can think about is Eric and the obvious pain that Godric is inflicting upon him with his selfish act.

In a last ditch effort to persuade Godric not to meet the sun, Eric tells him that he will go with him. At least I hope that he is just trying to persuade Godric and not really considering it, but the longer I watch Eric suffer with his maker's decision, the more I realize that he is dead serious. I feel the panic of losing both of them rise within me and I feel like I am going to puke from it. The sheer terror of loosing either of them is hard enough, but to lose them both, hell I might as well join them. I know that I would be a broken shell of my former self if I lost them.

The very idea of that is kind of crazy to me though. If I am being perfectly honest with myself**,** and if I can't be honest with myself in my own thoughts then there is something seriously wrong**,** I haven't had the idea of being a couple, or a threesome would be a more appropriate term, with them for very long, but I somehow instinctually know that we belong together. Not just Eric and I, not just Godric and I, but all three of us, together, an unstoppable united force.

Godric glances over to me, where I stand frozen in place, panic at the thought of losing both of my men coursing through my veins, slowly eating me alive from the inside out like battery acid. He smiles softly at me and looks back to Eric and says, "As your maker I command you, to leave me here and to live." A small weight eases from my chest, and the panic recedes slightly. I take huge gasping breaths, the panic having been so great that I was unable to breath and I didn't even realized it.

My heart is still breaking though, as I watch helplessly as poor Eric is dragged backwards towards the entrance of the hotel, as if some large string was attached at his waist and pulling him inside. When he finally reaches me, I take his large hands into my own, rubbing small circles into his palms, trying desperately to bring him any comfort that I can in this comfortless moment.

"I'll stay with him as long as it takes," I promise him. He barely nods his head in understanding, as another torrent of tears flood his broken features. I stand on my tiptoes and softly kiss his pain away, like a mother with a small child who has just been wounded.

"Go on love, I will be down as soon as I can, I will meet you in your room." He nods again and turns away from me, from Godric, from the pain, and walks into the dark, gaping mouth of the heavy fire doors. I take a deep breath and face what is to come, Godric and his possible death. The real question is, do I try to stop him, or do I allow him to meet his end in the way he chooses? After all he is right about one thing, two thousand years is a really long time. After all those years he should be able to choose the manner of his death. Yet, all life is precious and should not be taken for granted, even if you are a vampire, you still have life.

I take a hesitant step towards him, my thoughts spinning like cyclones through my brain. I am so unsure of what to do, how to proceed. "It won't take long, not at my age," he says to me softly, refusing to look back at me. He studies the sprawling metropolis as if he had has never seen it before, and perhaps he never has, not in this light, perhaps in all his years he has never pushed it this close. Or maybe he is just being sullen and introspective, in what could be his final minutes on this Earth.

"You know it wasn't very smart, the Fellowship of the Sun part," I say to him, almost snappishly. After all he did almost get me killed with his stupid plan. Well almost killed and almost raped. Well, almost killed, almost raped, and then almost blown up. All for what? I still don't understand that.

"I know, I thought it might fix everything somehow, but I don't think like a vampire anymore**,**" he says, finally turning and looking at me, a solemn look spread across his features.

"What did you think it would fix Godric? I mean, how does volunteering yourself to be sacrificed fix anything? It just seems like stupidity," I snap at him.

"Hmm… I hoped that the humans would stop seeing us as monsters if they saw that I was a willing sacrifice to their cause. I hoped that perhaps my own people would start treating humans with more respect at seeing the lengths they would go to in order to prove a point. I hoped that by me giving myself to them, the hatred and the violence would stop between us. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I had the best intentions."

I roll my eyes at him and shake my head. Sure I can understand his logic and yet his argument is completely irrational. "You know what they say about good intentions don't you Godric?"

He raises an eyebrow at me inquisitively. "No little one, what do they say about good intentions?"

"That good intentions pave the way to hell," I tell him and put as much sass into the old adage as I can, and place a hand on my hip just for extra emphasis.

He chuckles lightly at me, and oh how my chest aches at the sight of that smile, just the thought that I will never see it again hurts more than I can say. I feel like he is doing the Mexican hat dance on my chest, with this bullshit he is pulling. His face turns solemn again and he glances over his shoulder and looks out over the city. "Do you believe in God?"

Well that wasn't what I expected at all, not coming from him, and most certainly not coming from a vampire. I suppose though that anyone in their final hour would be thinking about God and if they had lived a good enough life. "Yes**,**" I say softly.

"If you're right, how will he punish me?" he asks, his voice quivering in fear. I can't believe it, real fear. Hot tears begin to stream down my face and my hands begin to tremble. He is really going to do this.

"God doesn't punish, God forgives," I tell him; this one simple truth has been instilled in me for as long as I can remember. God forgives all, as long as you ask to be forgiven and truly want to be forgiven.

"I don't deserve it," he says sadly, "but I hope for it."

"We all do."

We stand together for a moment, looking out over the city in silence. I walk up beside him and take his hand in mine. He looks from my hand to my face and says, "You will care for him? Eric I mean."

"How could you even ask me that?" I snap at him, my anger at the stupidity of his question, my anger at his stupidity for wanting to kill himself, my anger at everything that has happened over the last several days pouring out in that one sentence.

"I am sorry little one. I didn't mean to offend you," he says raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Of course I will care for him," I say, as I try to make my voice soft and loving again, "but you know how he is." A wry smile spreads across my face and he mirrors the image perfectly.

"I can take the blame for that too," he says shaking his head in amusement.

"Maybe not, Eric's pretty much himself," I laugh lightly. He nods his head in agreement, if anything can be said about Eric Northman it is that he is never afraid to make himself known and do whatever he desired. He simply is himself all the time and doesn't give a fuck what anyone thinks about it.

The horizon is starting to get lighter now, and I know that I have maybe ten, fifteen minutes tops, before the sun comes and takes him away from me. My heart starts to pound painfully in my chest, every beat hits my ribs so hard that it feels as if it is about to jump right out. Suddenly my face is on fire, with the scolding hot tears that are pouring from my eyes, and I realizeI could really loose him.

Godric turns to me, a small smile at the corner of his mouth; he places his hand to my cheek and rubs his thumb underneath my eye, trying to take my tears from me. "A human with me at the end, and human tears. Two thousand years and I can still be surprised. In this I see God. I love you little one, remember that every day, every moment. I love you and try to remind Eric of the same. I love you both more than I have words for."

With this simple declaration of love, something inside me snaps and I lash out. I have never been one to pick a fight, and I definitely, if I had been in my right mind in that moment, would never pick a fight with a two thousand year old vampire. Although that is exactly what I do, I snap and start pummeling him with my fists, hitting his chest, his belly, his beautiful face, all the while sobbing and screaming at him, in non-coherent words, which are really just strangled sobs.

"Sookie, stop it, please stop," he begs me, but I don't listen, I just keep pounding and pounding at his granite like chest, taking out all of my pain and frustration of this situation out on the one who deserves it most. After all he is the reason I am feeling this way, he deserves to feel the pain just as intensely as I do. Even if my blows really aren't making much of a difference to him, even if they aren't really hurting him, he deserves to feel every last ounce of my pain.

I thrash at him wildly, my hair whipping into my eyes, and sticking to my face. I feel wild and unbridled in this moment, trying to make him feel all the hurt that I have bottled up inside of me. "Please," he begs, a sob breaking from his throat as he grabs my biceps in his hands, trying to be gentle, yet at the same time trying to shake some kind of sense into me.

"**Please just stop**," he begs again, and pulls me into his chest, and just as suddenly as it started, the wild loss of control stops, and all of my energy drains from me. My body goes slack in his arms and we fall to our knees, locked in an embrace. "Please no more little one, **no more**. I can't bear to see you like this," he says, brushing the hair out of my eyes.

I look deeply into those dark chocolate**,** limpid pools of fire and I feel my anger rise again. "How dare you?" I say and slap him roughly across his face. His jaw drops clearly shocked at my sudden action. I can feel my tears beginning again, but this time I don't care, I wipe them away furiously and slap him as hard as I can again. "HOW DARE YOU? YOU… **YOU**… **YOU FUCKING PUSSY!**"

"SOOKIE!" he exclaims, clearly offended by my language and my harsh tone.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Don't you Sookie me, you cold-hearted bastard. I can say whatever I want to. Especially if it is true. HOW DARE YOU?" I slap him again.

"Sookie, I don't understand, how dare I what?" he asks, shaking his head and I can't help but let out a cold, harsh laugh at his ignorance.

"How dare you pretend to care! How dare you say that you love me! How dare you make love to me! How dare you save me only to turn around and abandon me! How dare you preach your precious ideals, yet do nothing to change things for the better! How dare you make me care for you and then break my heart! How dare you even contemplate such a stupid, selfish, act as killing yourself! You say you want things to be better and yet your great idea to change the world is to take yourself out of **it!** You're just too scared to try. So I call it like I see it, you are a _**PUSSY**_!"

I narrow my eyes at him ready to strike the final blow. "You're no better than **Bill**, a spineless, worthless, egotistical jerk, who cares about nobody but himself." I rip myself out of his arms and stand up, taking a step back and away from him. "Why would you do it Godric? Why would you make me love you, start a bond with me, only to turn around and kill yourself? How could you be so selfish, how could you do this to me, to Eric? We are both going to be devastated after your little act of cowardice. But you don't really care do you, because you won't be here to see it."

He continues looking down at the pavement beneath his knees, clearly disturbed by my harsh words. I don't care though; he should be ashamed. "You cold, arrogant, pigheaded, contemptuous, cowardly, fucking…" but before I can finish Godric leaps to his feet, grabs me by my arms, and shakes me slightly.

"That is quite enough." I struggle against him, trying to shake him off of me, to no avail. "Are you finished belittling me?"

"**NO!**" I spit venomously. "You deserve it. If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen. Oh wait, that is exactly what you are going to do. You are choosing the easy way out and _**FUCKING KILLING YOURSELF!**_ It isn't my fault you can't handle the truth."

Then Godric did something I would never have expected in this moment of anger. I expect yelling, screaming, hell even physically lashing out at me for my daring to speak to him in such a way, but no, what does he go and do? He leans forward and kisses me for all he is worth, pressing his mouth roughly against mine so hard that I know they will be bruised. He shoves his tongue between my lips and greedily sweeps it across the roof of my mouth; there is no doubt in my mind while embraced in this kiss who is in charge here, and it isn't me.

I melt against him and he slowly pulls back, and looks lovingly down on me, brushing my mussed hair out of my eyes and stroking my face. I feel my tears leap back into my eyes and I say, "Please don't do it Godric, please. I love you, don't do this."

"Sshh little one, I know, I know, you're right, I was choosing the coward's way out of the situation. I won't leave you, I promise, I won't leave either of you, ever, I swear." He squeezes me gently against his chest, emphasizing his point. "Come on," he says kissing my nose**,** "let's go tell Eric and get away from the quickly approaching dawn. Unless you want us both to become bar-b-que?"

"No," I giggle and shake my head lightly.

"Then come." He smiles and nods his head towards the door.

We make our way back through the fire doors, down the winding stair case that seems to go on forever, through the large door that leads to the correct floor that Eric's suite is on, down the dimly lit hallways, until finally we stop in front of the large, black, double doors that lead to Eric's room. The door is slightly ajar, and I can hear loud crashes coming from inside the room. It seems as if Eric is trying to break every single thing breakable within the suite because of his ire.

Godric and I step silently into the room and I look around shocked at the sight that lay before me. Apparently I was right in my estimation; Eric really is breaking everything breakable in the suite. The television is torn from the wall leaving a big gaping hole with pitiful wires dangling from it, and the television had come to rest across the room against the large bank of mirrors that made up the mini-bar. The mirrors, are of course, shattered into millions of tiny pieces, so that there are little reflections of my shocked face scattered throughout the room. The couch is over turned and torn in two, same with the love seat. The coffee table has been tossed through the glass screen that makes up the fireplace and both of the end tables are smashed against opposite walls. The lamps, being made of metal, fortunately weren't smashed, but they are imbedded deeply into the dry wall, their shades shredded into pieces on the floor beneath them.

Eric stood, clearly panting, against the large embankment of windows across from us. Eric panting amused me because who would of thunk, that vampires would pant when they are upset? It isn't like they get winded or anything. He faces away from me, his forehead is pressed firmly into the glass, and he softly pounding his fist over and over again into the bullet and lightproof windows. "Eric," I say softly.

His whole body jumps in surprise, he must have been so distracted by his irritation that he didn't hear us enter the room. "Sookie, what are you doing down here? You promised to stay with him. You swore to me you would stand by his side until the end. You prom…" but whatever else he is going to say died on his lips when he turns to face me. He gapes openly not only at me, but also Godric who is at my side.

Eric falls to his knees and lets out a strangled cry. "You're… you're… how?"

Godric smiles at him and pulls us across the room and down onto the floor, the both of us taking Eric into our arms, cradling him, stroking him, trying to soothe away his pain**.** Eric buries his head in-between our chests and sniffles. "Let's just say, our little Sookie knocked some sense into me. She can be very persuasive when she gets an idea into her head." Godric kisses the top of Eric's head softly, tenderly, trying to show his love and sorrow for having put him through all of this unnecessary pain.

Eric looks up at me and says, "Thank you my love, you have no idea…" he brushes his lips softly against mine in silent thanks.

When he pulls away, I cup his cheek and say, "Oh I think I have a pretty good clue as to what it means, for all of us." Eric and Godric both chuckle softly at me, and we squeeze each other tightly. All three of us just thankful that we are here, we are alive, we are together, we are in love, and most importantly we are happy in each other's arms and lives.

"Come little one's let's go and get into bed, before the sun comes. I do not relish the thought of Sookie having to try and drag our hides through this debris and into the bed**,**" Godric says softly, squeezing us.

Eric and I both just nod in agreement and follow him into the bedroom. All of us striping down bare, and mimicking our cuddling routine from the night before, wrapping ourselves around each other. "No hanky panky tonight boys, it has been too long of a night**,**" I say.

"Aww lover you ruin all the fun," Eric says.

"Oh stop it, it isn't like we even have time for you to do much of anything. Besides we will have lots of time in the future."

"Is that a challenge?" Eric says raising an eyebrow at me. "There is always enough time for a little fun."

"Pisshhh," I say slapping Eric's arm.

"I hate to agree with him, but there is always time for a fun little one**,**" Godric chuckles and kisses my shoulder softly.

"Not you too," I groan. "Stop it both of you, or no whoopee with Sookie for quite some time." They both just laugh at me and squeeze me tightly. "Goodnight, I love you."

"We love you too," they say in unison and I laugh. I gently fall asleep knowing that all is right with the world. Bill is gone, for now at least, back home to Louisiana and his stupid queen. Godric, Eric, and I all get to live in the same state together, although what we were going to be doing is a little confusing, but we would figure that out later. Godric is alive and he wouldn't be leaving us any time soon. Yep, everything is right in the world, and I most certainly am going to enjoy it while it lasts.


	11. Chapter 11

**Authors Notes:**

Just a couple of quick things and I will let ya'll get on to the chapter. First thank you all so much to those of you who took the time to send your kind words and well wishes for my health to return quickly, it means a lot to me and I really appreciate it. I am feeling a ton better, my back is still killing me but we can't have it all. I am a firm believer in the power of positive thought and ya'll were sending a ton of positive thought my way, so thank you.

I am half tempted to sit and apologize to ya'll for getting these chapters up a day late, but I am not gonna, this is me resisting that urge. I will however say stuff happens. It took me awhile to get them written and then I had to send them off to my beautiful editor, who has a life outside of helping me, so things happen. I am kind of behind on all of it, typically I have the chapters for the following week written and sent off to Catie the day I post the new ones, but because of being sick and the pain in my back I fell behind. I will try and get back on track, but there are no guarantees. I have a little one that I take care of and as seriously as I take my writing, it is hard for me to make the time. So, if I am late next week, just know it's because of all these things and not because the story is dead, far from it, I am actually almost done with the next chapter in The Dance. I should have more time to write in the following week though because my daughter is going on a little vacation, which will give me more quiet time to get my work done.

Anyways, as always thank you so much for taking the time to read and review my story. It means the world to me and I always love hearing what ya'll have to say, good, bad, or indifferent. So hit the little green button and tell me what you think, point out a favorite line, and maybe a song or two that popped into your head while reading.

Tons of love from the west coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 11**

*** Sophie Anne's PoV ***

Hadley's long fingers stroke through my hair as I feed from her femoral artery. Her delicious blood courses its way through my veins and I revel in it. I must admit it is handy having a part fairy pet, who is just lying around and waiting on me hand and foot. Hadley isn't horrible as lovers go, but her blood isn't the one that I have been wanting so desperately. From what that rat Compton tells me, Sookie's blood tastes a hundred times better than Hadley's and that is something I am looking forward to beyond measure. Not to mention the fact that Sookie is going to be extremely valuable in other ways as well, her blood will just be a delicious bonus.

Just the thought of owning Sookie, possessing Sookie, making her mine in every way, makes me pull that much harder from my pet's wound, and she writhes beneath me with the action. Of course Hadley and Compton have both told me that Sookie is not a lover of women. I honestly couldn't care less; Hadley was not a lover of women when I found her, beaten, broken, addicted to foreign substances, and homeless. What I want I get, and I want Sookie Stackhouse. It is only a matter of time before I have her.

As if reading my thoughts, Hadley says, "Do ya think Sookie will like it here? When she comes to live with us, I mean."

I must have lost my mind in the thrill of my bloodlust and thoughts of owning Sookie, because I do something I never do, I speak without thinking my answer through first. "I don't really give a fuck if Sookie likes it here. When she comes, she will be mine and nothing she says or does will change that. I will own her in every way. What do I care about the wants or desires that she has? When she comes I will have her in my clutches and I will never let her go." I wipe the blood from my chin that has dribbled down in my excitement of the moment.

Hadley looks at me with huge blue eyes, shining with tears**.** Jesus, doesn't this girl understand the way of our world? She has been living in my palace for almost two years now. It seems a little ridiculous to me that she hasn't figured it out yet. "What… what do you mean? You don't care about what she wants? What do you mean you will have her in every way? You are not talking about fucking Sookie are you? You… you… you can't do that! I won't let you!"

I grab Hadley's long blond locks and pull her towards me, making sure she is looking me right in the eye. "Hadley," I say speaking quietly yet precisely, "what is it that you think you are going to do to stop me, hmm?"

I smell the stink of fear rolling off her and I almost laugh. She is obviously afraid, but the tone in which she is speaking to me is trying to convince me otherwise. "I… I will tell her Sophie, I swear I will. How could you do that to me?"

"How could I do what to you my pet?" I furrow my brow at her.

"How… how could you just cast me aside for Sookie? I thought you loved me! That is the only reason that I told you about her in the first fucking place! You don't care, you never fucking did**.** I am so stupid! You betray Sookie, you betray me, is there anyone you even remotely give a shit about? You are a cold hearted, evil, conniving, cunt! I gave up everything for you!"

I slap her face and she flies backwards landing with a loud thump against the large solid wooden headboard. "What did you give up Hadley? Before me you had nothing, were nothing. You really thought I loved you? I should pat myself on the back for getting you to believe that I was capable of such a weak and idiotic emotion. You are nothing more than a feed and fuck to me. A very delicious feed and fuck, but nothing more than an over-rated happy meal for me all the same. Did you really not notice that I pass you around like a common whore? You have been a reward to all who have done me any kind of service since you have been here. How can you mistake that with love in any way? You're pathetic."

Hadley's miniature frame, looking even smaller when framed by the enormous headboard, shakes wildly. It almost reminds me of convulsions that I have seen people endure in the past. Whether her shaking is due to anger, shock, fear, whatever isn't really clear to me, but my words have obviously hurt her deeply. "I will warn Sookie, I swear it and if you try to stop me, I will stake your ass myself."

"Really," I say raising a eyebrow at her as I walk across the mattress as easily as if I was gliding across a solid floor. "Well my pet, it will be awful hard for you to do much of anything from inside a cell. GUARDS!" Rasul, Sigbert, and Wybert pour into the room, looking left and right for hidden dangers that lurk in the shadows. "Take her to the torture chambers and chain her to a wall."

All three of my guards look at me astonished and in clear disbelief, because Hadley has become a favorite amongst them; she just has this way about her and they all seem to end up loving her. "Do as you Queen commands," came a cool voice from behind them. All three stiffen slightly recognizing that voice**.** Andre, my first child, must have decided to investigate the disturbance in my room.

The guards nod their heads and make their way to Hadley. I have to give the girl some credit though, she tries to fight them off the best she can. She slaps, kicks, bites, and scratches at them as she tries to get them to release her from their hold. As she is drug from the room, she screams loudly, "How will you gain Sookie's trust now, you retarded, hair dye using, trailer trash, bitch?" The only answer I have for her is my scream of outrage as I slam the door shut behind her.

Of course**,** she is right, how could I be so stupid and make such a simple mistake? "She is right you know**,**" Andre whispers against my neck and kisses me lightly.

"I know," I sigh**.** "I will just have to find another way to gain the girl**'**s trust."

"We have a problem my Queen," he says as his kisses work their way down my neck and across my shoulders.

"Mmmm and what would this problem be?" I ask in a husky reply.

Andre slides his muscular arms around my ribcage, squeezing me tightly against him, letting me know that he had things on his mind other than affairs of the state, and recalcitrant part fairy girls. "Do you really want to know?" he asks, nipping softly at my ear.

"Not really, but is it important or can it way for an hour or four?" I giggle softly.

Andre pulls the flesh of my neck into his mouth, rolling it around softly and nicking it occasionally with his sharp fangs. A breathy moan escapes my lips and he releases my flesh with a loud, wet pop of sound. "No idea. Compton wouldn't tell me what was so important that I needed to interrupt your meal for the night, just that he had to see you post haste," he says, continuing our conversation as if it had never been interrupted by his attempt to seduce me. Well, it isn't like he has to try very hard to have his way with me, but that isn't the point.

"Ughh, Compton, how I loathe my interactions with that man." I writhe my ass against him, pressing his firmness into my soft flesh. A growl curls through the air, and vibrates down my spine. Andre throws me onto the bed bending me over the edge, so that my ass is presented to him like a prize. "Did he bring the girl with him?" I ask, panting slightly as he probes me with his fingers roughly.

"No," Andre growls and slaps my ass hard and quick**;** I think he is trying to dissuade me from this topic. "I asked him about the girl and he became, disconcerted, almost fearful and then demanded that he see you that instant, your feeding and fucking be damned."

"Wait, what!" I say grabbing his hand and pulling it away from me. I spin around to face my child.

Andre sighs in frustration, running his fingers through his short brown hair, a terrible human habit that I have never managed to break him of. "I tried to question him my Queen, but he refused to answer. I even threatened torture to get the information that he had come to tell you out of him, and he just laughed at me. I have to admit I have never seen him so… reckless before. He has always had a nice healthy dose of fear in him, whenever it came to interacting with me, or any of us for that matter, but it's like he has lost his mind. He is acting as if he has nothing to lose so why bother being afraid."

I begin to pace back and forth across the room, trying to discern what could put Bill in such a mood. "Whatever has him like this does not bode well for us. Andre get me a dress, we must deal with him, something black just in case. I don't want blood stains ruining my lovely clothes." I turn to him and he is standing next to me with a large smile on his face and holding out a beautiful black silk dress that ties at the waist like a scarf.

"Already done my Queen." I nod to him in appreciation. That is the thing about Andre, he always anticipates my wants and desires before I have even formulated them in my mind.

I stand in front of my mirror, I suppose by some standards it would be considered overly excessive seeing how it takes up an entire wall of my bedchamber, but I feel like it fits both my personality and this room perfectly. Besides, it has quite a few hiding spots throughout it, hiding away various devices, and important paper work. Not to mention the fact that I have a secret light tight, fireproof room behind one of the hidden mirror doors, just in case of emergency. I make sure that my hair is perfectly quaffed and my dress wrinkle free, as I turn this way and that checking out my appearance in the ornate mirror. "Let us go and deal with this worm," I say assured that I look perfect.

I stride from the room, feeling the cool metal of my dagger rubbing every now and then against my opposite thigh; a girl can never be too careful. When I enter the throne room, I am shocked by what I see. Comptondoesn't just look scared, he looks completely fucking dejected. Oh this can't be good. "Compton," I say in my most commanding voice, as I stride across the room and gracefully take my golden throne. "What is so important that I have been ripped from the arms of my morning entertainment?"

"Your Majesty, I bring news most heinous," he says as he debases himself completely in front of me, his nose actually touching the cool marble beneath him. FUCK, this isn't good.

"And that would be?" I question coolly, never showing for one moment that inside I am almost panicking with what could be so horrible that has him behaving in such a way.

"Well… it's just that… well… I…" He stumbles over his words trying to come up with a way to break whatever bad news he has to me, as delicately as possible. He pushes his frame further into the marble flooring beneath him. How that is even possible I am not entirely sure, but the worm manages to lower himself further.

"Spit it out Compton NOW!"

"I… well I…" he starts to say when he is interrupted by a cackle of laughter coming from the doorway that leads out into my night blooming garden.

Looking up I see who is responsible for the interruption, Nan Flannigan. Fuck, her being here can't be good. If I could blanch I would have because her being here means only one thing, something went extremely wrong in Dallas.

"He," she points dramatically at Bill, "fucked up in monstrous proportions," she says, looking at me with a small smirk curving her red painted lips. She looks down at Bill and her smirk turns into a sneer of malice. FUCK, FUCK, FUCK. Not only has he messed something up so badly that he has become nothing more than a sniveling worm at my feet, but somehow he managed to piss off Nan, and by extension The Council.

"Whose shoes did he piss on and what do I have to do to help remedy the situation?" I ask, trying to sound as cool and collected as possible.

Nan's head snaps back to me and her smirk returns in full force, but it isn't just her being smug**.** No, it is a clear _you are standing at the gallows and I am the one holding the leaver_ smile. "Oh, I don't think there will be any fixing this. What do you think Billy?"

Bill shakes his head in the negative, without uttering a syllable, and rubs his disgusting nose back and forth across my pretty tile. "What has he done?" I demand, letting my anger start to get the better of me. "I want answers and I want them now!"

Nan crosses her arms across her tiny frame and slowly glides the rest of the way into the room, her silver spiked heels click clacking in an ominous tone across my floor. "Well, let's see where to start. He kidnapped Miss Stackhouse from Godric's nest in Dallas. He assaulted her on the way back to the hotel and dragged her through a lobby full of humans who witnessed her clear distress. He beat and raped Miss Stackhouse further after reaching the hotel room. And then, after Miss Stackhouse had asked for protection from Godric and Eric, he demanded that I return her to him, even though it is one of the oldest rules in our history that if a human asks for protection from an older vampire and it is accepted that the other vampire step aside. OH! And he refused to answer my questioning when he was the one who requested I hear the case in the first place. But the icing on the cake," she says winking at me, "is that he revealed that you had designs on Miss Stackhouse to become part of your personal household and that you were going to do whatever was necessary to insure that you owned her. As if she was nothing more than cattle."

Nan shakes her head slightly at me, and I fight every instinct within me not to stake her, Bill, and anyone else who gets in my way. My body shakes violently with my suppressed rage at the shit that had occurred while in Dallas. "I am so disappointed in you Sophie Anne. I would have thought someone as smart, ruthless, and politically savvy as you are would know better than to undertake such machinations. It doesn't matter how pretty the human bauble is, you cannot and will not behave in this manner. We set forth a new set of rules before we decided to tell the humans about our existence, you know this, you were there when we drew up the agreement, and you signed the thing, accepting the fact that if anyone, including yourself, broke these rules you would be punished."

"And what is the punishment you have decided then?" I ask, forcing my voice to not quiver. I know that with a single word this stupid bitch could end me, and not just my political career, I mean literally, maim, torture, final death, end me, permanent no coming back, done.

Nan takes a step closer to my throne, and therefore me, looking me up and down as if she is appraising me, weighing my value, before passing judgment. "I have already rendered my verdict. It really is too bad, because I think," she says, cocking her head at me as if she were some large bird of prey zeroing in on her nightly meal, "that if I had waited it would have been much… harsher. You obviously do not deny your actions and you should be made an example for all others." She sighs in regret. "Ah well, there is always next time." She winks at me again and I think my hair would catch fire with the burning rage that has built up inside of me.

"Just get on with it Nan!" I growl at her.

A small tinkle of laughter pours from her lips, reminding me of wind chimes or bells. Ugh how I hate that sound. "Very well then, but haven't you ever heard that it is never as good if you rush the foreplay?"

That's it. I am going to slap her, or stake her, or no, no better yet, I will tear her limb from limb and mount her to my head board. Andre places his hand on my shoulder, and he rubs soft concentric circles to help sooth me, and most importantly keep me from doing anything stupid. "Just get it over with Nan," I say exasperated by her games.

"Aww you're no fun anymore Soph." I grit my teeth. I hate it when she calls me that and she knows it. Which is precisely why she does it. "Very well kill joy, my judgment is this. Sookie retains her protection from Godric and Eric, she is theirs, period, no debating and no trying to steal her away from them, end of discussion." I smirk slightly. It doesn't matter that she is Eric's. I would have liked to have her myself, but Eric is one of my most trusted and**,** more importantly, obedient Sheriffs. He would always do what I commanded, as his queen**;** her staying with him would not be a non-issue.

"Oh Sophie, as old as you are haven't you heard the phrase don't count your chickens before they hatch? Second, Eric is no longer a Sheriff of Area Five. I took Godric's position away for a mistake that he made, which lead to the deaths of multiple humans and vampires. Eric will be taking over the position of Sheriff in Dallas. Bill is no longer allowed to ever set foot in Dallas again, or he will meet his final death. Also he is never allowed to be in the same state as Sookie again or he will meet his final death. Sookie is no longer a resident of the great state of Louisiana, she will be living in Texas from now on, and she is under the protection of The Council so if anything, and I mean anything, happens to her I will hold you personally responsible. Now that brings my ruling to you. You are never to approach Sookie without her consent. You are never to be in the same state as Sookie without her consent. You are going to be held personally responsible for Bill and his actions from here on out and if he violates any of my rulings, I WILL throw your child ass off of your throne. Oh, and you are to deal out physical punishment to Bill. I have a feeling that you will come up with far worse for him than anything my mind could have imposed."

Nan taps her chin lightly, pondering her lovely little judgment. I am barely containing myself at this point and I want to seek and destroy anything and anyone around me for this monumental cluster fuck. "Am I forgetting anything? Hmmmm," she says lightly. "Oh yes, and you cannot and will not harm any of Sookie's friends or relatives that remain here in Louisiana. That includes your little pet Hadley."

My mouth falls open at that little bomb she just dropped. Shit. How the fuck did she know about that? I narrow my eyes at Compton, thinking he had betrayed all of my inner workings to this bitch. "Oh don't blame him, he did betray you during his little tirade about the injustices of it all, but no he didn't say anything about Hadley."

"But how?" I ask before I can contain myself.

Nan laughs loudly, one of those full belly laughs that little kids would hear from the lips of Santa Claus. Except this Santa has fangs and a thirst for blood and gore like no other. She would never hesitate to rip your throat out and smile while she is doing it. "Well you know how it goes, a little of this, a little of that, and I am not a fucking retard. You severely underestimate me. I have met the girl, on previous visits, and you have passed her around your court to every vampire who needed a meal. Did you really think that they would not brag about her? And of course it helps that Hadley loves to brag; she goes on and on about her beautiful telepathic cousin Sookie**,** to anyone who is willing to listen. It isn't that huge of a leap. Plus I looked her up in public records**;** technology is such a wonderful thing. Don't you agree?"

My fangs pop out, cutting open my lips in the suddenness of the action. I am already pissed beyond words at Hadley and now, NOW I can't even do anything to punish her. I have to send her away unscathed, whole. All of this, because of Compton. "Well," Nan says clapping her hands together and rubbing them back and forth, "my work here is done. I will see you around Soph. Bye Bye." She stretches out the last e in bye into a sickly sweet melody of sweet happiness. She waves at me slightly and out the door she goes, never looking back.

I take a deep, unnecessary breath, readying myself to unleash the torrent of my anger on the fuck up Bill Compton, when Nan sticks her head back in. "Oh one more thing Soph. If we, and I by we I mean me and The Council, decide that your punishment of Bill is too, hmmm lenient, you will be receiving a severe, torturous, punishment from me. I really hope you don't go too easy on him, it would be such a shame to ruin that pretty little skin of yours," Nan says, practically purring at the idea of having me to torture at her whims. I almost shudder at the thought of being left in Nan's quite capable hands**.** Few vampires ever survived her loving attentions and those that did where either insane, or scared for life. Nan winks at me, blows me a kiss, and leaves just as abruptly as she came. I can just make out her laughter echoing through my peaceful gardens as she makes her exit into the night.

I finally let my brewing anger turn from a small wind into a harsh gale. I jump from my throne and throw it across the room, where it shatters into hundreds of pieces. "How could you be so monumentally moronic Compton? You have ruined everything, EVERYTHING. All my plans, years of hard work, all flushed down the toilet for WHAT?" I pace like an enraged panther, back and forth, forth and back in front of him. Just watching, waiting patiently for the right time to strike.

Bill just lies there and shakes from head to foot, not daring to say a word, clearly in fear to provoke me further. It doesn't matter though, no matter what he says he is done. "Well," I say tapping my foot perilously close to his head, "what do you have to say for yourself?"

"She provoked me."

"She… provoked you, is that what you said?" I laugh harshly. "SHE PROVOKED YOU!" I turn to Andre who is standing in the same spot I had left him in, directly next to where my throne should sit. "Did I hear him correctly Andre? Did he say she provoked him?"

"I believe he did my Queen."

"That's what I thought," I say turning back to Compton. "What could she have possibly done that could have provoked you into sheer stupidity?" I ask and kick him as hard as I can in his ribs. Bill flies several feet across the room, clutching his undoubtedly broken ribs, and moaning.

"She…" he gasps in pain, "she exchanged blood with Eric and Godric, after the bombing." His voice sounds raspy and I can hear a soft hiss and wheeze of air coming from him. I definitely punctured a lung with that kick. Yay for me!

"You idiot." I kick him again. "I don't give a fuck if you walked in and she was sitting on Northman's face having her pussy eaten, you fucked up beyond belief." I kick him again and he flies further away from me. "You spineless," kick "stupid," kick "childish," kick "fool." Another well placed kick to his sternum and I feel it break under my heel. I manage to maneuver him into a corner of the room and he is balled up like a baby, clutching at his body and whimpering pathetically. "You are pathetic," I say and spit on him. "I will have your balls for this. I am going to cut them off and have them mounted in my rings. I will pluck your eyeballs from your skull and have them turned into a necklace. I will pull your fangs from your pathetic, betraying mouth and wear them as earrings. I will pull your intestines from your body and turn them into lingerie. I will cut off your fingers and toes one at a time and turn them into my crown fucking jewels. Do you have any fucking idea the damage you have done?"

I whip my head around and look at Andre. "Knife," I say, smiling at him sweetly. He simply nods and strolls over to me casually, as if it was just another day and he was on some monotonous errand. He slowly unsheathes his knife from his boot. Compton's eyes grow large and his skin turns ashen, and I think if he could be sick he would be.

Taking the knife in hand, I kneel in front of him so he is forced to look me in my eye and not at my feet. "I am going to skin you alive and use your worthless hide as a rug**,** and all of this is just going to be warming up," I say sweetly. Bill starts to whimper again, rocking back and forth. "Actually," I say, rolling my neck back and forth, preparing myself for the hours of fun ahead. "I have something even better in mind." I look up at Andre and bat my eyelashes at him lovingly. "How long did Ivan manage to keep that one vampire alive, after he skinned him and then sealed him up in the barrel?"

"Hmmm…" he says, a wicked smile curving his lips. "I think he managed for oh, one hundred and fifty years, before the body finally gave out. Although there wasn't much left when it finally did die."

"You see Compton," I say, sing-songing my voice sweetly, "Ivan is what you would call a specialist. He has one particular method that I have always wanted to try, but you know how these things go." I laugh loudly and his body flinches just slightly. I lean into him lowering my voice as if we were sharing intimacies. "It isn't like I have vampires volunteering to be tortured on a regular basis, and this method is… well… let's just say, an extreme measure," I purr at him.

"First," I say taking the tip of my knife and placing it softly at his throat, "you skin the worthless piece of vampire flesh, starting the cut here," I poke just below his clavicle, "and ending here." I gently run my knife right down his middle and stop directly above his pubic bone. "Then," I roll my hips suggestively, getting more and more excited about the idea of getting to inflict this pain, "you slowly," I gasp slightly, "peel the skin away from the flesh, with small, sharp, cuts." My head rolls back and I moan slightly.

Andre growls behind me, becoming just as excited as I am by the thought of torture; and not just any torture, but watching me inflict that amount of pain on someone always gets him excited. I can feel myself getting wetter by the second and my excitement is building higher and higher to the point of where I know I am going to cum right here in front of Compton, as I describe his inevitable fate to him.

"After the body is completely devoid of all its flesh, you submerge it completely in saline solution." Another sharp moan is pulled from my lips, I am so close. "Do you know what we do next traitor?" I ask Bill, in a low breathy whisper.

"N… n… no" He mumbles, his voice quivering in terror.

"You add a tablespoon, no more no less, of sulfuric acid." I moan at the thought of hearing Compton's screams echoing off of my torture chamber. "It is not enough to kill you, but it is just enough that it slowly eats away at your body a tiny bit at a time. I have heard that in the end all that remains is just the brain and heart. Which if you think about it, is all that is really needed in order for a vampire to survive. Can you imagine, mmmmm, slowly being eaten alive one delicious bit at a time."

"I have heard that the process is quite excruciating before you get to the point of just being a floating brain in a barrel though," Andre says, his voice sounding husky and deep. "Mmm…yes. And also, you can prolong the process if you take the meat sack out of the barrel every now and then and allow them some time to recover. It can go on for eternity."

"How…mmm…wicked," I say, smiling up at Andre and coming as close to loving him as I can possibly achieve. "Take him away."

Andre strikes like a snake as he snatches Bill up off of the floor and drags him towards the dungeon. "No, my Queen, please don't do this. You don't want to do this," Bill pleads with me.

Long after his pitiful pleas stopped echoing around the room, I smile and say to myself, "Oh but I do want to do this and I will love every second of it."

I slowly make my way down into the hidden dungeon area that resides beneath my palace, and stop in front of the large wooden doorway. I unlock the door, the loud clanking of the key in the lock, rings through my ears, protesting that I am about to release this prisoner. Standing in the doorway, my eyes scan the room, seeking my prey, until finally I see her, huddled in the corner in a pitiful heap. "Get up," I say coldly.

I watch as Hadley rises to her feet and stares me in the face defiantly; oh how I want to play with her as an appetizer and then move on to the main course of Compton. "Go," I say, nodding my head out the exit.

"Wait… what…" she says, clearly confused by my command.

"Did I stutter? Go. Leave my palace, leave my area, and never return. I don't ever want to see your face again."

"But… but… where will I go? What will I do? I have nothing. What about Sookie? I can't just leave here and let you turn her into your slave Sophie Anne."

"Little girl, be grateful that you have been granted a pardon. If it were up to me there would be no such mercy, but my hand was forced by a higher authority. Rest assured that both you and your beloved cousin are safe from my clutches, as well as any other member of your family. So go, get out of here before I decide to take the risk of killing you anyway, and damn the consequences."

"But, what will I do Sophie? Please, if you have ever had any love for me, at least have the decency to buy me a bus ticket, something, anything to help me leave," Hadley says, begging me and looking quite pathetic. I almost sigh out loud; I wanted her to beg, but this is definitely not the scenario I had envisioned when that occurred.

"What do I care what you do? Just go," I say shaking my head at her. She nods her head at me, silent tears rolling down her cheeks, and walks out of that cell on her own two feet.

When she reaches the bottom of the staircase she stops, just for a moment, not looking back, not even looking up at her awaiting freedom, she just stares off into nothing, and says in barely a whisper of breath, so low that I can hardly even make it out, "I love you Sophie." And that was it. She runs up the stairs away from me and out of my life. I have one brief flash of pain, guilt, remorse maybe, before I crush it like a bug. Swinging my hips seductively, I walk towards the main event of the evening. Tonight is definitely looking up.

*** Outside the Palace Hadley's Point of View ***

I run, I run as fast as my little human feet can carry me. I run from the only life I have ever been truly happy in. I run away from her. I know she is planning on hurting me, but somehow, someway I managed to come out on top of it all. I have the feeling it has more to do with Sookie, then with Sophie's love for me. She said someone forced her hand and that she had to let me go. And although the rational part of my brain knows that Sophie doesn't care and was going to torture me, the irrational part of me is still screaming in pain at her loss and her betrayal.

I am not paying attention to where I am going because I run smack dab into a large granite wall of muscle. "Easy there princess. Where are you going in such a hurry? Ah princess what's wrong, you are shakin' like a leaf," Rasul says, his warm drawl washing over me and easing my nerves slightly. I find an unexpected comfort being wrapped in his arms and I break down completely, sobbing and mumbling the whole horrid experience into his chest.

"Ah honey, it will all be okay," he says wrapping his long cool fingers around my chin and forcing me to look up into his electric green eyes. Then he does something I never would have expected from him, he kisses me. It isn't forceful or overly passionate, with promises of sex, but it was sweet and soft and kind, almost loving. I would never have expected something like that from him. He has always maintained a distance from me, not that he wasn't always kind to me when we saw each other or we spoke, but after the first time Sophie Anne had "gifted" me to him, he had held me at arm's length.

"Here," he says, as he reaches into his pocket and hands me a set of keys. "Go to my house, you know where it is right?" I nod, too confused and astonished to respond otherwise. "Good," he smiles at me softly. "Go there and wait for me. I will try and get a few of your things from here and I will meet you there in an hour. I know where Sookie is, and I have a few favors in my pocket from various supes out there. I will take care of you, I promise. We will catch a flight out of this hellhole tonight and we will do it together." He squeezes me gently in his large muscular arms and I am truly grateful for the comfort.

"Umm, Rasul, it's not that I am ungrateful or anythin' but why are you doin' this for me?"

He just smiles a crooked little smile at me, winks, and says, "Oh I am just a little sweet on you, and you are just the sweetest little thing in every way." He winks at me again and I feel my face flush with embarrassment. "Now go, I don't want anyone to find out that I am abandoning my post."

"Be safe**,**" I whisper to him and he brushes his lips against mine.

"I will. See you soon." I nod and run into the night, feeling more sure of myself than I had ten minutes ago. My future is spread out before me with an infinite number of possibilities and for the first time ever, it looks really promising.

*** The Queen's Chamber's Sophie Anne's PoV ***

My fingers glide back and forth in small absentminded strokes over my new Bill skin rug. I told that fucker I was going to skin him and I did, oh I did that and so much more. The skin beneath my fingers is still soft and supple with its freshness, not yet haven taken on the dry harshness of leather. Spread out here before the fire it will eventually dry out, but for the moment it is serving its purposeas a place to lay and fuck my child, bathed in the blood of my enemy.

The skin sticks to my body sporadically wherever my tattered remains of clothing had have not been torn away in the heat of mine and Andre's passion. The blood spilled by my rigorous session with the traitor acts like a kind of glue, which causes Bill's discarded skin to cling to me like my own.

I feel Andre's fingers gently stroke through my matted hair, the remnants of offal and gore causing it to clump together in large dread like tangles. If I manage to get all of it out without cutting my hair off I will be surprised. Not that it really matters if I cut my hair off, it will grow back almost immediately, but the interim time between cutting it off and re-growth always irritates me.

I stare into the roaring fire, allowing the seductive movements of the flames to hypnotize me and calm my overworked nerves. I say in a hushed, morose, monotone voice, "I have lost everything tonight."

"You have lost nothing my queen."

"Oh but I have Andre. I lost my fairy pet, I lost my telepath, I lost my best Sheriff and with him the largest money maker in my area, I have lost my best spy, I lost my dignity to Nan when she caught me in my machinations, and I almost lost my life and still might to be perfectly honest. I think Nan is just looking for an excuse to end me. My entire kingdom came tumbling down tonight, all because of one dumb little southern girl."

"We will find a way to bring her home to us my Queen. We will find a way to right all of the wrongs that were done tonight. I swear it. All that you lost will be restored, it is just going to take time," he says kissing my nose lightly. "Come on, let us shower and wash Compton's vile blood from our bodies." He pulls me to my feet and leads me into the bathroom. Soon, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, I will own Sookie Stackhouse and have one Viking's head on a platter. I just have to figure out a way to get past the Roman.


	12. Chapter 12

**Authors Notes:**

Hey all, sorry to keep ya waiting. I am so far behind on my schedule with this fic and with the other one that I am working on. That week off just kicked my butt, sure I have the excuse of being sick but still. I want to continue to release both my stories on the same day so that is why this is coming out so late. I almost decided to just wait until Tuesday so that I was back on schedule sort of, but I just couldn't resist releasing the new chapters after I saw this back from my Editor this morning.

Speaking of which, everyone give a big hand to my beautiful wonderful lovely editor who catches all my silly mistakes, like the fact that Jim Morrison died BEFORE Elvis or that the vampires didn't wake Sookie in the MORNING. Hehehe. She is just the best, everyone send your love to Catie Mak she is just friggin' Awesome.

Okay folks about the story **Warning**: when you read this chapter please don't shoot me. Cannon Sookie has finally reared her ugly head and made herself known in this chapter. It was bound to happen sooner or later with this story. So just be aware of this fact and know I will NOT allow her to continue to behave like this in the future. She may pop up from time to time when she feels overwhelmed, but this is not going to be the norm.

As always, much love to all you blessed people out there who take the time out of your busy days to review my work. I love ya! It makes my day. I always love hearing anything, any of you have to say, be it good bad or indifferent. So when you get to the bottom of the chapter hit that little green button and tell me what you think.

Tons of love from the West Coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 12**

** Sookie's P.o.V. **

I am having the most marvelous dream I have ever had in my life. It is just Eric, Godric, and I**,** and we are all sitting in front of a roaring fire, cuddling up to each other**,** talking and laughing and having a wonderful time. We are so at ease with each other, and we just seem to fit together. Then the dream morphs into something more, something darker, not dark in a bad way, but dark as in heavy and intense. The scene goes from the three of us laughing and joking, to the three of us ripping each other's clothes off and rolling around and attacking each other to the floor. I am so awash in the sensations of hands and lips and tongues and teeth, that I feel like I might explode and nothing has even progressed to what could be deemed as intercourse, just people making out like horny teenagers with out of control hormones.

My dream slowly melts into reality and it takes me a moment to realize that some of what was happening in the dream has carried over into reality. I can feel two cool tongues slowly, twirling about my nipples. I can feel two strong hands stroking my body, one over my belly in soft concentric circles, while the other moves lazily up and down my thigh in soft strokes. I arch my back and moan loudly, my mind still weighed down heavily with sleep-induced lust, or maybe it's dream-induced lust. The point is I am not thinking all that clearly at the moment and the wonderful sensations that are being brought upon me aren't really helping matters any.

The slow, sensuous licks turn into nips and full on bites, combining a little pain with my pleasure. My eyes open and I look down at two bobbing heads, one blonde and the other brown. And just like that it clicks in place, everything that is going on clicks into perfect clarity. I have two men, not one, but TWO men, making out with me at the SAME TIME! I have TWO, count them, one, two, men quickly progressing things down that merry path that only leads to the down and dirty between the sheets.

I can almost hear my Gran screaming at me about being a 'good Christian woman,' and 'how could I be such a disappointment and conduct myself in such an atrocious and appalling manner?' _What the heck are you doing Sookie? Sure you had sex with both of them yesterday, but it wasn't at the same time. It was bad enough that you had sex with both of them in the first place. Do you really want to walk down this road and start sleeping with them both at the SAME time? Is this really how a lady conducts herself?_

That little moment of self-doubt is just enough to kick my heiny into gear, and I rip myself out of their arms and jump out of bed. The looks of shock on their faces would be funny at any other moment, but right now it just infuriates me even more. "What the heck do ya'll think you are doing?" I snap at them.

They look at each other and then back to me, clearly confused. "I would think it would have been rather obvious lover," Eric says and arches an eyebrow at me. Oh damn it why does he have to be so sexy all the time? Focus Stackhouse, focus.

"What kind of girl do you two take me for? Do you really think that I would just… that we would just… and that I would be okay with that? I am a LADY thank you very much and I don't just… well I don't do what you two were bound and determined to do just now. What is wrong with you two that you would even think about doing that… at the same time… it's just… well it's… its just wrong!"

I stomp my foot lightly at them and cross my arms over my chest, and realize that I am naked as the day I was born. Yeah I am sure this is adding to my credibility of being a lady. I feel a bright blush form on my cheeks and look around the room and spot Godric's shirt lying on the floor. I quickly grab it and pull it on over my head.

"Little one," Godric says softly, "I do not understand why you are so upset, or even what brought this on to begin with. You have slept in our bed the last two nights. You have agreed to be our mate, not just Eric's, not just mine, but both of ours. You had sex with both of us yesterday and did not seem to have a problem with it. So, why are you, what is the modern term for it… freaking out I think is the term…" He raises an eyebrow at Eric and he nods in agreement. "Right, why are you freaking out now, what is so different?"

"Well… it's just that," I huff; I am so mad, so irritated, and to be honest I am embarrassed and ashamed of myself, and of my behavior. "This isn't how good Christian woman women are supposed to conduct themselves," I say and look down at the floor. "It is bad enough… it's bad enough that I am unmarried and am having sex at all, let alone having sex with two men, and then the coup de grace__that makes everything even worse, is that you two want to have sex at the same time. What would people think of me? I can't conduct myself in such a manner, they are all gonna think I am some kind of… some kind of… harlot, jezebel, hussy, slut, use whatever term you want, but no matter how you slice it makes me a whore. I just can't do that, it's not Christian and it's not right." I am quite pleased with myself, I think I made my point clear; if there is gonna be hanky panky it will be one on one not all three of us at the same time.

"Why is it not right little one?" Godric asks. Clearly the subject is not closed for him.

I huff indignantly. "It just isn't a very Christian thing to do now is it Godric? A good Christian lady does not conduct herself in such a manner."

"Why?" he asks again.

"Because… because… because it says so, in the bible."

"Really?"

"Yes really, the act of sex is supposed to be for procreation and the expression of love between a husband and a wife. Women are not supposed to throw themselves around at every Tom, Dick, and Harry that comes along."

"Well then you are already going to hell lover, because any sex that the three of us conduct is never going to be an act of procreation." Eric snorts and rolls his eyes at me dismissively.

"You know what it may not be a big deal for you to act like a whore Eric, but it is a huge deal for me. You don't see me belittling your beliefs or trying to force you into changing who you are."

"Well my beliefs aren't small minded and repressive, and I most certainly do NOT act like a whore."

I snort. "Really? What would you call it then? Having sex with a different girl every night, sometimes more than one is whoreish. Oh wait, I forgot men can't be whores**,** they are suave and get slapped on their backs and rewarded for their many conquests. Sorry if you don't like it Eric, but how you conduct yourself makes you slutty, and it most certainly isn't anything to be proud of."

Eric jumps off the bed and is across the room and in my face faster than I can blink. "A whore is someone who accepts money for sexual services Sookie and I most certainly have never done that. The fact that I enjoy sex does not make me slutty either. That is the problem with your whole I'm a lady argument and your attitudes about being a 'good Christian woman' bull shit. Your religion causes you to be shameful of something that is natural and has been happening long before your religion was ever invented. Enjoying sex isn't slutty, and besides that a slut is the same thing as a whore and I already established that I am not that. What bothers you more, the idea that I used to sleep around or the fact that now you do?"

I slap Eric across his smug face**.** "How dare you?" The moment I do it I instantly regret it, because the look of shock and hurt on Eric's face breaks a little piece of my heart. Shit. There is no way I am going to back down though. "I should have known this was a mistake. I should have known that you weren't really being all sweet and loving to me because you actually gave a fuck. What was I thinking?" Tears start flowing down my face and I start searching the room franticly for my clothes so that I can leave. I can't handle this, it is just too much and there is no way I am going to let Eric watch as my heart breaks over him.

"Enough!" Godric says in a stern tone that stops me dead in my tracks. "I will not allow either of you two to behave this way. I will not allow both of your stubborn natures to sabotage what we have."

That statement gets my blood boiling to be sure**.** "There is no WE, I am leaving," I say and go back to search for my clothes, not daring to look at either of them. If I see Eric looking at me all hurt by my words and actions, I don't know if I will have the strength to walk out. No matter how much of an asshole he is and no matter how much he deserves it for being so horrible to me, I know I can't stand to see him hurting though, I would just melt.

"You are not going anywhere," Godric says and picks me up off the floor and throws me, not too gently I might add, onto the bed. "Eric, sit now!" Eric scowls at him, but shuffles across the room and perches on a chair that is across from the bed and folds his arms across his chest.

"Godric you can't keep…" He glares at me.

"You will stay quiet. I will not allow this to happen." He turns to Eric. "You need to apologize to Sookie. You openly mock her religion, her beliefs, and then you call your woman a slut. What is wrong with you? I understand that her rejection of us hurt you, but do you really think that your shooting off at the mouth like that, and antagonizing her into a fight**,** is going to be the best way to get her to change her mind? After everything she has been through, her reaction was not all that unreasonable. Yours on the other hand most certainly was."

"She called me a whore," Eric snaps angrily at him, and a low growl builds in his throat.

"She is calling it how she sees it Eric. You have chosen to live the way you do, you sleep with multiple partners in one night, every night, and never the same woman twice. How did you expect her to react, you know her background, you know her belief structure, why would you think she would have any other opinion than that. Oh I know, see it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you, but what she thinks of you really does. Maybe seeing yourself through her eyes isn't such a pleasant thing? Perhaps that should be an indication on how you have chosen to conduct yourself in the past isn't as all right as you thought.

"That still doesn't change the fact that you in turn lashed out at her and called her a slut. Why would you even begin to think that is all right? You are more than old enough to not behave in that manner, or is that little business you have been running getting to your head? I know you have to put on airs in front of the tourists and fangbangers, but I know for a fact that you know better than to treat anyone this way. The tourists and fangbangers expect it in the environment YOU created, but to allow that behavior to carry over into your personal life is unacceptable. Do you want Sookie to leave us? Because if you treat her this way that is exactly what is going to happen**,** and to be perfectly frank I wouldn't blame her. She just got out of one abusive relationship; do you really think she wants to be in another one?"

Eric lowers his head in shame and I can't help but to snicker a little at him for getting his just desserts for behaving the way he did. Godric spins around and narrows his eyes at me. "Oh don't think for one moment that you are getting off easy Sookie."

I gulp audibly and he crosses his arms across his chest. "First let me start by saying if you are having an issue with something that is occurring in our relationship, flipping out and screaming at us is not the best way to get us to listen to a damn word you have to say. I am more than willing to listen to any opinion you may have and sit and talk calmly and rationally about it so that we all may come to a compromise. I will not however allow you to flip out and screech at me like a banshee and be unreasonable. You have concerns, which I understand and we will address, but you cannot say you dislike something and then not have a good explanation other than because.

"Your screaming and hollering at us will never get a good result. It wouldn't matter if we were human or werewolves or any other man. You will never get the results you desire, or be in a good relationship, if that is how you conduct yourself. You say you are a lady, well behave like one. A lady would not scream at the man, or in our case men, she loves just because she is upset about a situation. A lady would sit down and conduct herself properly and try and work out the problems with her mate, because she knows a relationship is all about compromise.

"And you are just as guilty as him of inappropriate behavior. Actually to be perfectly honest I am much more upset with you than I am with him. Although I am none too pleased with him at the moment either. How dare you speak to him that way! Why would you ever think it is okay to call your mate those horrible names? How dare you hit him! Have you lost your mind? Why would you think it is all right to slap him, just because you are angry? What gives you that right? I would never allow him to hit you, just like he would never allow me to hit you, just like we would never allow anyone to hit you, and just like you would never allow anyone to do so to us. A lady most certainly does not conduct herself in that manner. You owe him an apology as well.

"Then there is the fact that you were going to leave, just take off, without conversation, without even a real reason. You were angry and you lashed out and instead of dealing with the problem you were going to run. How old are you? I would expect behavior like that from a child not a grown woman. You have no excuse. I don't care how angry we make you because we disagree with your opinion, running away from our problems will not fix a single thing. You should be ashamed of yourself, and might I add, how is any of this my fault? Did you even stop to think about the fact that you are not just walking out on him you are walking out on me as well? After all of that screaming and yelling you did at me this morning to talk me off that roof, telling me how selfish I was for doing that, how could I make you love me and then leave you? Was all of that just some bullshit line that you concocted out of guilt because I saved your life? Did you mean a single word you said?"

I gasp**.** "Of course I did, how could you even ask me such a thing?"

"Well, it really isn't that hard to think you didn't mean a fucking word of it, considering the fact that you were willing to just walk away without looking back. How do you think that makes me feel Sookie?"

"I am so sorry Godric, I am but…"

"But, seriously Sookie, let me clue you in on a little piece of etiquette here. If you are apologizing to someone there should be no BUT added to the sentence. It should simply be an apology and maybe a statement as to why you are sorry. You DO NOT say I am sorry for being a bitch but I was right. That totally negates the point of an apology and seriously calls into question whether or not you really mean it. Either you're sorry or you're not there is no **BUT**!"

I feel chastised like a small child; it was like being 13 all over again and having my Gran tell me off for the same thing. Except my Gran made me go out back and pull a switch from the nearest tree and tanned my behind. Godric is being far kinder. "I am really sorry Godric I didn't mean to hurt you**,** truly."

He nods his head in acceptance but makes no move to come closer to me and reconcile further, apparently my lecture was not through yet. "Now, do you really think your taking off doesn't hurt Eric as well? Do you really think treating him the way you did doesn't hurt him? Do you really believe that he doesn't care? Because your casual disregard for not only my feelings but his as well speaks volumes about what you really think."

I feel horrible. I really want to just crawl in a hole and die from shame, but my stubborn streak is getting in the way. "How can I think he cares Godric? Look at what he said to me, look at how he treats me. People who care about each other do not say or do those sorts of things."

"Look at how you treated him, and might I add that you started it. You insulted him and were very malicious first. Look at him." I shake my head, not wanting to see the damage that I know I have caused. "NOW! I am ashamed of both of you, both of your actions were childish and immature and I will not allow you two to ruin what we have. You are so much alike it is scary, and I won't have you two hurting each other or me because of it."

I look up and over at Eric, and I almost gasp aloud at what I see. He looks, well, he looks awful, he looks beaten, broken, his shoulders are rounded and hunched, his head is lowered, his wild hair covering his face from view, and his arms are wrapped around his belly, hugging himself tightly. It is a sight that I know I will never forget. I never in a million years would have thought I would see this proud man, this proud warrior, crumpled and defeated. I would have expected him to be pleased that I was getting a tongue lashing from Godric. Hell I was tickled pink when Godric was busy scolding him. I expected him to have that smug look on his face, gloating that I was just as wrong as him, if not more so for my reactions. I never would have expected this.

Fuck. I slide off the bed and pad over to the seat Eric is perched on. I kneel before him and hot tears start to trickle down my face. "I… I really messed up; I am so so so sorry Eric." I tentatively put my hand on his knee and he flinches, he fucking flinches away from me. Like he, big bad scary vampire, was afraid of little ol' me. "What have I done?" I bend my head forward and burry my face in my hands and cry a little harder. "I am sorry, I am so sorry both of you. I'm a bitch. I didn't mean it any of it. I just, I just freaked out and I didn't think. Fuck, I won't blame either of you if you don't ever want to have anything to do with me ever again."

A cool hand slips across the top of my head and down to my chin and tilts my face upwards. I look into Eric's angelic face and see true remorse there, but behind it was still every ounce of pain that I caused him. His cheeks are tinted lightly with pink streaks of his tears and my heart just breaks a little more for my knee jerk reactions and callus behavior. "I am sorry too lover. I didn't mean it, I was angry and I didn't think." He gently rubs away my tears with his thumbs and smiles lightly at me.

His kind smile and gentle behavior of course only causes me to cry even harder at my stupid behavior. I feel like the biggest bitch on the Earth at the moment. His whole demeanor softens even more and he pulls me up off the floor and into his lap. He rocks me gently in his lap shushing me softly and rubbing soft circles on my back. "Sshh lover, we were bound to have a disagreement eventually and neither of us are exactly experienced at having a relationship. We both messed up, but we need to just forgive and move forward."

Godric pulls both of us into his chest and slides his arms around us. "Every relationship is difficult, and ours is going to be just as challenging if not more so because of its dynamic."

"I'm sorry Godric, I didn't mean…"

"Sshh little one, I know. Come," he says and pulls away from the two of us. "Let's go home and we shall all sit and have an actual conversation about why you were so upset when you woke." We all dressed and quickly made our way to Godric's home, our home, and I felt somewhat relieved. Sure we had just had a huge fight, and I am positive there would be many more in the future, but the three of us had gotten through it together. It puts a bit of a spring in my step knowing that when two of us are being completely unreasonable assholes the third will step in and slap some sense into us. I know it will make life so much easier to have a referee, and I am positive that it will make for far fewer misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

*** Back at Godric's Nest ***

I trudge through the living room and flop, quite unceremoniously**,** down on the large blue suede wrap around couch that is on the far wall in front of the television. Godric gives me a questioning look and sits down across from me, and motions Eric into the chair next to his. I am apparently all alone in front of the firing squad and I am not liking it one little bit.

"Do we really have to do this?" I whine.

"Yes we really have to do this, little one."

"But what is the point? I mean honestly look how well the conversation went last time," I say and Eric cringes slightly. I instantly feel bad, and I mouth sorry to Eric. "See this is what I am talking about. I don't want to fight."

"I do not desire that either little one, but your reaction," he sighs heavily, "concerns me. Let me start off by saying that this discussion is going to be just that a discussion, not an argument, or a brawl. We are going to sit and the three of us are going to talk rationally about this. All right?"

I shrug and Eric nods. "Good. So, you were… startled by the two of waking you this earlier yes?"

I open my mouth, ready to shoot off arguments of proper propriety and appropriate behavior, but Godric narrows his eyes at me. I know it is a warning to mind my words and think before I speak, so I do just that; I take a deep breath and think about how to phrase my concerns. "Yes, I was startled. It wasn't really a negative reaction, until I realized what it was that I was about to do. Look, things like this may be easy for the two of you, but for me, it is a really big deal."

"All right I can see that, and I am willing to apologize for startling you, but I am unwilling to apologize for the act. Sookie, as much as Eric's methods of explaining his point to you were wrong, he is correct in many of his arguments. Is the three of us sleeping together at the same time really all that different from you sleeping with us taking turns?"

"Well no, but…"

"I was not finished," he says and cuts me off. "And what did I say earlier about that damned word?" He sighs**.** "Your religion, your upbringing, is interfering with our relationship and a lot of the things you believe are in fact made up beliefs by old men who wanted to contain their children into behaving by throwing the threat of fire and brimstone at them."

I narrow my eyes at him in anger, how dare he insult my religion my upbringing? I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind and he raises his hand to stop me. "There will be no arguing, you will not be going off on me. I am entitled to my opinion just as much as you are, but the difference between you and I is that I remember a time before your religion was created. I am not saying that your Christ didn't exist, I heard stories of him, but that does not mean that everything that is written down in that book you hold so much credence in is actually the word of your God. Did you never stop and think about the fact that book is written by man's hand not God's?"

"No, but that doesn't mean it isn't accurate."

He sighs again. "The human children, they have a game, I believe it is called telephone, are you familiar with it?"

I laugh**.** "Of course, but I am surprised you are."

He smiles at me. "I know many things Sookie, this is just one of them. Now, in that game it starts out that the originator of the call says a simple phrase and whispers it to the next person. Something like, 'The flower blooms in the morning.'"

"Right, and then they whisper it to the next person and the next all the way down the line until it gets to the very last person, who reveals the secret message. I always found it so hilarious because the message was never the same as it started out in the beginning. It would turn into something absurd, like 'The bear hops over the log at night.' I could never understand how it would change so much from one person to the next."

He tilts his head at me slightly and smiles. "It is because, the person receiving the message only hears what they want to hear and then they pass on what they believe is right to the next person. In the end the message is terribly skewed from what it should be. Each person takes on the message and adds or subtracts the bits they don't like or agree with and add in their own take to it."

"Yeah it always seemed so absurd to me, but what does this have to do with…" I stop midsentence and realize his point. Shit. It is a really good point. "Oh."

"Indeed," he says and crosses his arms across his chest. "Now, there are other things for you to consider as well. It was common practice for a person to have multiple wives or husbands or just partners in general, in both mine and Eric's human lives. We both watched that practice get pushed aside when your religion came in and forced its way down everyone's throats. Even after your religion started it was very common still for a man to have multiple wives. That was just the way of things. Your religion taught you all to be ashamed of your body, of your feelings, of your desires.

"It turned a lot of you into repressed bigots. The women are shamed for wanting and needing to have their desires met while the men are rewarded for cheating on their wives and they strut around like peacocks at their newest conquest. What we have, you, me, and Eric, is perfectly acceptable if we all agree to it. As long as we all accept that we are in a committed loving relationship with each other and do not stray outside of that relationship it is perfectly acceptable. We are all adults who can make our own decisions, and if we agree to be together there is nothing wrong with anything we do in our bed as long as we are all willing.

"As far as the whole sex is supposed to be between a married couple and a woman is supposed to remain chaste and pure and all of that," he sighs, "it is sad, but how many women do you know that remained chaste until their wedding night?"

"None, and very few of my friends are actually married either, but that does not negate the fact that I…"

"Just stop Sookie, just stop and listen. I am very familiar with your argument because I have heard it all before. Again, should I point out that I was around when your religion was BORN? I know every line in your bible, probably better then you do. Now, my point was that it is very rare now for women to remain chaste until their wedding night. In fact it is almost frowned upon if they choose to not have sex until they are in a loving and committed relationship. I understand that you were an exception, but you are by no means the rule. I highly doubt your Gran would frown upon you because you were having sex. In fact I think she would applaud you for finding not one, but two men who love you more than anything in existence and are willing to do more for you than anyone ever has before and ever will in the future.

"In my mind, and I am sure I speak for Eric here as well, we have made that serious commitment to you. Yes, it isn't a ring, although I am sure that if at some point you desire a ring we would both be happy to oblige you with one, but to us a blood bond is a much larger commitment then a piece of jewelry or a simple sheet of paper. Paper can be torn up and thrown away, jewelry can be sold, broken, and melted down into nothing, but a blood bond? Now that is commitment. It never goes away; it is forever, and we are willing to tie our souls to yours for the rest of our lives and the rest of yours. It is better than a marriage; it is more than a marriage could ever be. We are willing to share our innermost feelings with you all of the time. You will always know how we think and how we feel. We can never hide from you, we can never lie to you, and we can never cheat on you. It is guaranteed by our bond. I would say that is a huge commitment on our part."

"Lover, we would never think less of you for having sex with us both at the same time and at the end of the day isn't that the only opinion that should matter? Who cares what anyone else thinks of us as long as we're happy. What other people think and feel shouldn't factor into how we live our lives. I love you, Godric loves you, and we want you to be with us always, our mate, our love, our bonded, and our wife. I think we should finish our blood bond tonight, and then there will be no more misunderstandings between us. You will always know how we feel, we will have made our commitment to you, and you will finally understand that we aren't going anywhere."

"I agree," Godric says**.** "Fate has thrown us together little one. We are destined to be together. Just like with Eric before you, the cup chose you to finalize our triumvirate, you balance the scales between us and make us a perfect whole. It will always just be the three of us; no one else will ever come between us. Eric and I already have a committed relationship, because of our maker-child bond and also because before I turned Eric I bonded to him. Just like with you the cup chose Eric to be with me and it was the best thing to ever happen to me. This, our relationship, will be exactly the same, of that I have no doubt. I love you and the sooner you know this to be fact the better, and the only way for that to occur is for us to move forward and complete the bond."

My head is spinning with all the little facts and tidbits that the two of them have thrown at me. They are essentially asking me to change everything that I am to be with them, but isn't it all going to be worth it in the end? I know it is, but my little inner voice is screaming and yelling that I can't do it and is making up all kinds of excuses. I keep pushing them back over and over because I know it is just me being scared to take any kind of real chance at happiness.

Something though finally gets through and tickles at the edge of it all. "Godric, what do you mean the cup chose me? What do you mean the cup chose Eric? There is more to this isn't there?"

"Little one, I think you are trying to change the subject so you don't have to deal with this."

"Probably, but that doesn't change the fact that you just told me a frickin' cup is telling you to be with me. I don't know how I can even take you seriously when you say something like that."

"Come here little one." I slowly rise from the couch, walk across the room, and stand motionless in front of him. He pulls me down into his lap, and cradles me like a child into his chest, as he strokes my hair and cheeks. "The cup did choose you, but that doesn't make my affection for you any more or less real. I cared very deeply for you before you even laid one delicate finger on that cup. I know for a fact that Eric loved you long before you came to Texas. That cup has no bearing whatsoever on my commitment to you. All it really did was cement what I already knew. I love you and I want to be with you**,** and nothing and no one is going to stop that from happening. Even if that someone is you." He kisses the top of my head lightly and I just sigh in relief, at the close contact.

"I still think you have some explaining to do," I say softly.

"Do you really think it is necessary to know all of this now?"

"Yes, I do Godric. I don't like secrets and I don't like half-truths. I think you have to tell me the whole story before we can move forward."

He sighs heavily. "All right, but let's all go and relax in bed, it is a very long story and I want to lie next to you while I tell it."

"All right." He stands with me still cradled into his arms, Eric leading the way into the bedroom. I know that no matter how this night ends my life is going to be changed forever once we come out of that bedroom again. I really want to just say fuck it and run for the hills, but I know that I can't do that. I love both of them too much and to be honest, I don't think I would get very far. Somehow I highly doubt either one would let me get much farther than the bedroom door.


	13. Chapter 13

**Authors Notes:**

Hey howdy hey ladies and gents. So we have the next chapter of SoD up for you today. Just a little warning there is a ton of smut here. So don't say I didn't warn ya. Lol ummm, thanks as always to all of you who take the time to write me and tell me how you feel about the chapters. It is always appreciated and much anticipated. So please continue to take the time to do so, it means the world to me. As always everyone should send their love to my girl Catie, she does all of my editing and is a saint I swear. I sent her this chapter yesterday and she had it back to me bright and early this morning. God send I swear. Hehehe. Okay I am going to let all of you get to the good stuff. Have fun *wiggles eyebrows*

Much love from the west coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 13**

** Godric's PoV **

I carry Sookie into our room and place her softly onto the mattress. I watch as Eric climbs next to her and pulls her snugly against him. Her body molding perfectly into his, he wraps himself around her and kisses the crown of her golden head softly. I watch silently in wonderment; I don't know how or why I am so blessed, but watching my two loves is enough to make my heart want to burst with joy.

I will admit though that I was more than a little pissed off at both of them earlier. If I am being truly honest, I am still more than a little irritated with them. Their behavior earlier was unacceptable. Between Eric's stubborn nature and Sookie's lack of worldly experience, the two of them nearly driven drove a wedge into our newly developing little nest. This is something that I would not and will never allow to happen. They are my destiny and I there's. I am only further irritated by the fact that I had to play referee and parent to these two fully grown ADULTS. Their argument was petty and childish to the point where I had to step in and scold them both for their behaviors. It's appalling to me that I had to do such a thing, but with my two loves I have a feeling that I will quite often be drawn into the middle of their petty disputes.

I know that it will all be worth it in the end. I have no doubt that the promise to me will be fulfilled. That I will be truly happy with these two, and that with that greatness will come to us. We will change the very shape of existence, but I need to find a better way to deal with their bullshit. I do not have the time or the energy to be pulling them off their sanctimonious high horses every time they are pissed at each other. They are going to have to find a way to work out their issues between them, just like I would have to work out any issues I have with either one of them on a one on one basis. It is not fair to pull the odd person in the argument into the middle. I know life is often unfair, but this is something that the three of us will have to sit down and work out. We have to find some kind of balance between the three of us. I know it is going to be difficult; this is a new territory for all of us, but it has to be done.

"Aren't you coming?" Sookie asks softly to me and I smile at her.

"Of course little one," I say.

"What is wrong Godric?" Eric asks, a look of concern spreading on his face.

"Just pondering life's little quirks, it is nothing to worry yourself with." I climb into the bed and face my beloveds and I can feel my heart swell with love. I am truly blessed despite all of the headaches that I have no doubt these two will cause me. I run my fingers through Sookie's soft tresses and then down Eric's strong arm. _Goddess, thank you for giving them to me_, I pray in thanks for two people that lay beside me.

"So, little one, you want to know how it is that the cup chose you? Just like before you it chose our Eric for me, I met him and I knew he was my destiny. Much like I did with you I offered him the cup and it glowed when we both touched it at the same time. It let me know that Eric was and is a part of my destiny. Just like with you, you are meant to be with us, you are part of my destiny, and you are part of Eric's destiny. The three of us are meant to do great things, and you joining Eric and I is part of a promise that I was given a very long time ago."

"But Godric," Sookie says cutting me off, "if the cup chose Eric, does that mean, that you…" She pauses with a look of fear and worry on her face.

"That I what little one? You can tell me what you are thinking. You can always tell me how you feel about something. I may become upset, but I promise that I will hear you out and talk with you about your fears." I kiss her forehead gently and I notice Eric squeeze her hip in encouragement.

"Well…" she says and pauses for a minute. I watch as her face flashes through various emotions; fear, love, fear again, and finally determination before she voices her concerns. "It is just that. Okay, if the cup chose Eric does that mean that you are going to want me to become a vampire too? I mean you changed Eric over after all, following that reasoning you would expect me to become one as well."

I sigh; this is not the discussion that I had bargained on. "Someday, yes I would like that very much and I am positive that Eric feels the same way."

"I don't think I want to be a vampire though!" She says and sets her chin in a stubborn line.

"To be honest little one, we have plenty of time to discuss it and Eric didn't really want to become a vampire either. The circumstances were forced upon us. The cup doesn't show me people who I will bring over to become vampire. It shows me the other parts of my soul, my bonded mates."

"Wait, does that mean that you and Eric were…" She trails off her thought.

"Yes, we were bonded before I turned him. Eric too did not wish to become a vampire when we first met. He wanted time to think about it, as much of a warrior that he is, he was unsure if he wished to live that way forever. For me, it was nothing of consequence. I was not worried about his decision one way or the other. We were together and I loved him very much, and that is all that mattered to me. As a bonded pair the human life span is expanded greatly. We can bond today and you will have another two hundred years before you look to be in your early sixties. We have all the time in the world for you to make up your mind. And to be honest, just like with Eric, I do not care if you ever decide to join us. I will love you no matter what. With you receiving both mine and Eric's blood you could probably live at least another four hundred years." I shrug.

"Okay." She thinks for a moment and continues. "I will think about it. I just think it is a serious commitment and there is no going back from that."

I laugh. "That is very true, but we can discuss your pros and cons for not wanting or wanting to become a vampire at another time. I am more than willing to hear out all of your reasons and discuss them with you and perhaps give you a different perspective."

"I agree," Eric says and squeezes Sookie's hip again. "It isn't like either one of us are asking you to make a decision today, right now."

"But you said that Eric's choice was taken away from him. That you bonded and then you had to turn him. I don't want that to happen with us."

Both Eric and I go very still next to her, because neither of us want to relive this particularly painful memory. Eric slides his hand off Sookie's hip and drapes it over my own. I move my hand up his arm and gently squeeze; we are both just lending the other a little emotional support and showing our affection. "Eric's being turned is something that is very hard for me to talk about. I am sure it is just as hard for him as well."

"Lover, Godric and I were together many years before I was turned. We had discussed my crossing over many times and yes, I admit that at the time of my death I was unsure if I wanted to join him in this new life, but I will never say that I regret the decision that he made for me. To be honest a lot of my reservations had to do with the unknown. I had never been a lover of men and even at my death I was unsure that my love for Godric was not some sort of phase I was going through. I had many, many doubts." Eric sighs and I smile at him softly and try to send him as much understanding and love as I could through our bond. That was a very long time ago and I hold no grudges for his feelings then. What's done was done and there is no going back, in this Sookie is very accurate.

"Although the circumstances around my crossing over are unfortunate, a piece of me knew that I could never leave Godric. I also knew the story of the cup and knew what awaited us if I chose to join him in this life. I had no human life to go back to and being by his side was a constant joy, and still is. I was too scared to make the commitment that I knew needed to be made and I like to look at the whole unfortunate event as the Fates giving me a shove in the right direction. I loved him then and I love him even more now, and the cup has now indeed delivered on part of its promise. We have you and I know the three of us will be happy." He squeezes Sookie to his chest and kisses her forehead lightly.

I am truly amazed at his openness with his feelings. In all the years we have known each other and been together, I don't think I have ever heard him speak this way. Sookie has brought out the best in us, and part of that is us feeling comfortable enough to share our emotions openly with one another. I lean forward and cusp Eric's cheek in my hand, and try to send all the love and devotion I have for him through our bond. His eyes twinkle merrily and the emotions that I receive back from him mirror my own.

My Viking sits up slightly, leans over Sookie, clasps the back of my neck in his strong, muscular hands, and pulls me too him. His strong lips brush against my own, gently at first, nothing more than a tender caress and softer than the kiss of a butterfly's wings. My hand slides from his cheek and tangles into his golden mane, and I pull his lips tighter against my own. He nips at my lips, breaking the skin just enough to allow a few drops of blood to coat the surface, and he quickly darts his tongue across me, and sucks up every last drop. I groan slightly and he pushes the advantage of my open mouth, and darts his tongue quickly inside my own. Our tongues slide against one another, in a slow sensuous dance that we have done together many times. His tongue swirls around my fangs, pricking it slightly, and I slowly lap up his own sweet concoction. He slowly pulls away from me, rests his forehead against my own, and he closes his eyes and I follow suit. I bask in the love and lust that is bouncing back and forth between us.

I take a deep breath and the sudden sweetness of arousal fills my senses, and to my great surprise it is not mine or Eric's that wafts through the air, but it is my Sookie's. Eric and I look at each other and slowly pull apart, looking down on our Sookie who is sandwiched between our lower bodies on the bed. She is just staring at us, a look of amazement on her face, combined with a healthy dose of lust. Well, well, well. If I had thought of it, I would have gone about this morning's wakeup very differently.

"Can I just say," she squeaks and clears her throat, "that was the fucking hottest thing I have ever seen in my life."

Eric smirks at her and chuckles lightly and I try to contain my amusement and excitement behind a kind exterior. Oh the possibilities that will be open before us if we can expand this little girl's horizons. To be honest, the reason I had not thought of using mine and Eric's attraction for one another to help lure her into being with us both at the same time, was because I was more fearful of what her reaction would be. My logic was that it would be easier for her to accept the three of us together, than for her to accept Eric and I together. I had thought perhaps in time, after she became accustomed to seeing Eric and I together with her in a sexual situation, it would be easier for her to accept seeing just Eric and I in the same situation on our own. Apparently I was wrong, and my little one was extremely turned on by seeing her two men kissing one another. It really seems kind of backwards to me, but who am I to judge.

"Perhaps we can give you a repeat performance later little one," I purr at her, and another strong wave of her desire floats through the air. I know she is probably dripping wet and burning to be stroked to completion.

Eric looks between her and I and leans forward slightly, and brings his lips right next to her ear. "Would you like that lover?" Her entire frame begins to tremble with desire. "Would you like to watch as I kiss our Godric?"

"Mmmhmm," she hums and nods her head in agreement.

"What else do you want to watch me do to our Godric lover? Or what do you want to help me do to our Godric?"

Sookie blushes, and her cheeks turn the most beautiful shade of pink I have ever seen in my life. I know she is embarrassed; she has very little experience with sex at all, let alone expressing her desire vocally. But, by her smell and her squirming body, I know she is picturing several scenarios that are exciting her a great deal.

Eric starts to kiss her neck, nipping at it every now and then, which forces out a small squeal of enjoyment every single time. Watching the two of them together is way more gratifying than I thought it would be. That minx of mine just turns it up a notch though, as she looks me right in the eyes the entire time Eric is bringing pleasure to her body. I suddenly understand why she was so excited by watching a simple kiss between Eric and I. Yes, Eric and I had shared women before, and I can't say watching it didn't arouse me, but somehow this is on another level entirely.

I grab Sookie's thigh in my hand, unable to resist touching her any longer, and she moans loudly with just that simple touch. She pulls away suddenly and sits up on her knees, and pulls Eric up onto his. He eyes her questioningly, as do I. She looks at Eric and says, "Kiss him." I must admit, normally I am always the one in charge of things, but there was something so hot about Sookie bossing Eric and I around.

Eric smirks at her and turns towards me. He reaches out and slides his muscular arm around my waist, and pulls me across the bed and flush to his body. I growl softly at him as he grinds himself into my hip. Eric is nothing if not a showman, and if Sookie wants a show, he is going to give her one. His large hand palms the back of my head and his lips press firmly against mine; he nips and sucks and pulls them with his own. A moan of appreciation escapes me and I can feel Eric through our bond, and he is very pleased with himself.

That small distraction is just enough to realize why he is so smug. I can hear Sookie, panting heavily, her body moving restlessly on the bed. Eric pulls away from me and looks over at her and I follow suit. She is practically writhing there on her knees, watching us, her thighs pressing and releasing, begging for some kind of friction to help alleviate her desperate need. Her cheeks are flush, and the most lovely shade of pink, but no longer from embarrassment. No, this is a horse of an entirely different color. This is need, desire, want, and right now I think our Sookie wanted us to fuck her senseless. I want nothing more than to throw her down right this second and have her screaming beneath me.

This is her show though and, for at least the first time, we have to allow her to run it. If we move to quickly she is going to get scared off. Eric's arms twitch around me and I know he too has the strong urge to pleasure our mate; I try and send him as much strong reassurance as I can. He turns back to me and smiles softly, the love and adoration coming through his eyes and through our bond loud and clear. I tangle my fingers into his golden locks and bend him backwards slightly; his back arches and his hips are pushed into me even further. I moan in appreciation and press my lips into his, almost with a brutal force. My tongue shoves its way between his lips, nicking lightly on his fangs and allowing some of my blood to trickle down his throat. He grunts and his hips buck against me as he sucks every last drop down into himself.

I release his lips and pull his head back further and kiss down his strong jaw, nipping here and there and his body twitches in response. I find that beautiful spot, where his pulse point should be and suck his soft flesh into my mouth. I pull and pull and pull, never breaking the skin, but I know that if this were Sookie, her whole damn neck would be black and blue from the force of my suction. I release his flesh with a loud pop, pull back, and I look down at the face of my beautiful Viking; his eyes almost dazed with lust and desire, and I find a very familiar smirk curling up at the corner of my lips.

I jump slightly as Sookie's small arm wraps around my waist. I look over at her and she smiles hesitantly at me. I pull Eric upright and slowly pull Sookie between the two of us. Eric growls appreciatively as Sookie grinds that beautiful ass of hers into him and she slides into place. This woman is the fucking hottest thing I have ever seen in my long life. It is like she is fucking made for us. Maybe she is; who am I to question what fate has placed before me.

Her hot little hand slides down my chest and into my pants, and wraps itself around, my already hard cock. "Fuck," I say appreciatively, and from the grunts that Eric is making she is doing the same to him. Eric and I mirror each other, both leaning back slightly so that Sookie can have her way with us and also have plenty of room. Harder and faster she works me and my eyes drift closed, so that I can further enjoy the moment.

My moans of appreciation only egg on Eric's moans, and slowly but surely the room is an echo of Eric and I singing our desire and pleasure that our woman is bringing us. Every stroke is a little more confident, every swirl and twist a little bit more predominant, until finally I can hear Sookie's moans of pleasure accompanying our own, and that is just it for me. I buck my hips in quick succession and scream with delight as I spill my seed into her hot little hand.

I flop backwards onto the bed, and stare up at the ceiling, reveling in the delight of orgasm that my woman gave me. "By the Gods Sookie," I almost pant and roll my head towards her. "I don't think that…" I let my words trail off; I am not sure how to describe what I am feeling at the moment.

"Have ever been so satisfied by a hand-job?" Eric asks, as he finishes my thought. Got to love my Viking, he always knows how to put it out there, even if sometimes he is a bit crude about it.

Sookie giggles at us, and bounces off the bed, and goes into the bathroom, I assume to wash her hands. I hear the water running and Eric and I quickly pull ourselves back together. There is no way I am going to let myself be out done by Sookie. Somehow, something that was supposed to be about her satisfaction and having her become comfortable having sex with the two of us at the same time, turned into her taking control and turning myself AND Eric into large puddles of vampire goo.

I look over at Eric and he nods at me; I don't even have to speak my thoughts to him, because he knows where I am going with this and he will follow my lead seamlessly. If I have my way, I am going to have Sookie screaming her release in about two minutes. There is no WAY I am going to get to cum and not have her be equally satisfied.

I can hear Sookie puttering about in the bathroom, humming a little tune of satisfaction. I smile lightly at her happiness; she is so pleased with herself right now. I have the utmost confidence in her that she will work out all of her issues with the three of us being together. With what just happened and the fact that she isn't ashamed, I know she is taking a huge step in the right direction.

She bounces back into the room, still humming that little tune, that I can't quite place, and her face is lit up with the brilliance of her smile. She makes it about half way into the room before she skids to a stop and takes in Eric and myself. I am leaning up against the headboard, shirt off, arm draped loosely over my belly and the other stretched out across the top of the headboard. Eric is draped across the bottom of the bed, and his large frame is almost dangling off the sides of the mattress. He of course is never to be out done, and has stripped himself bare. His knee is just blocking the full Monty view and he has turned just enough so that she can see the full round shape of his ass, and the cute little dimple that he has just on the side of it. Even Michelangelo's David couldn't compare to the fine specimen that is Eric Northman. By Hades I think that Eric should be in a class all by himself; people should think of him as the epitome of masculine beauty, instead of Adonis, or David, or even Atlas.

Sookie sucks her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing just slightly on the corner of her mouth, and it is fucking delicious. Her cheeks flush and her breathing becomes rapid to match her thundering heart beat. No doubt she is having issues controlling herself right at this moment, which is exactly what I want.

"Come here little one," I purr at her and crook my finger motioning her to come closer. As if pulled by magical strings she lurches forward a step and then slowly, almost cautiously approaches the side of the bed. She stops dead in her tracks when her luscious thighs bump the edge of the mattress, and she looks at me with big doe eyes, a mixture of fear, excitement, longing, and most definitely lust flits through those baby blues. I pat the bed, and she slowly climbs up and kneels about half way between Eric and myself. Eric rolls over to face her and her head turns when she caught the movement in the corner of her eye. I can hear her heart pounding louder and harder in her chest, and she is continually holding her breath for long periods of time before remembering the need to breathe.

I reach out and run my fingertips down her arm and she jumps slightly with the touch. She is so distracted by Eric's rolling over that she isn't paying attention to what I am doing. Not that I can blame her; that man can make anything sexy. It amazes me at times because he just exudes sex from every pore of his body. "Sshh, little one," I say softly and try to get her to calm slightly before she hyperventilates or something. I wonder if you can hyperventilate from being to sexually aroused. If anyone could do it though I think Sookie would.

I place my hands on her waist and gently lift her from her position on the edge of the bed; she is too far away from me for my liking. I place her so that her knees straddle me mid-thigh; I don't want to spook her too much by placing her directly into my lap. I ghost my thumb across her lips, pulling the bottom one free from between her teeth. I watch in fascination as the blood rushes back to her full lips. I lean forward and suck that beautiful lip into my mouth. I slowly begin kissing her, sliding my tongue against hers, tasting every bit of her, and when she finally starts to relax, I wiggle my fingers at Eric for him to join us.

He silently slides up behind her, and he moves so easily that she isn't even aware of his presence until he starts placing tender kisses along the nape or her neck. I feel her body stiffen slightly against me, and I pray that she isn't about to bolt, again, but after a few moments she relaxes and leans some of her body weight back against Eric's large frame. She pulls away slightly and turns her face up to Eric, as he leans down and kisses her, and I watch in fascination as these two beauties exchange their passion with teeth, tongues, and lips. I suddenly understand why Sookie was so excited earlier watching Eric and I kiss; if it looked half as good as this, I am surprised she contained herself as long as she did.

I could no longer be denied. My patience and gentleness has finally come to an end. I lean forward and roughly kiss her hot skin. I suck and nibble each tender piece of flesh that I can get to, and her delicious flavor lingers on my tongue and pushes my lust into overdrive. I slide my hand around her and make quick work of unzipping the dress she still wore. I pull the top down, the fabric stopping at her full hips, revealing just the slightest hint of her pale pink underwear.

Just the sight of that small pink strip of fabric sends me into a frenzy. I pull her nipple into my mouth and can hear soft moans, muffled slightly by Eric's lips, emanating from her. She slowly begins to rock her hips against me, and the smell of her arousal permeates the air like a heavy perfume. I growl against her breast, and she jerks slightly against me, while another louder moan escapes her lips. I release her nipple and move onto the other, and give it the same rough treatment as the first. Pulling and pinching, biting and sucking, twirling it around and around, until there is nothing but a steady stream of moans pouring from her. I look up and realize that she has pulled her lips away from Eric and is resting most of her body against him. Her head lying backwards against his shoulder, her hair almost wild, a few delicate strands ghosting across her face and neck.

I can't take it anymore; I release her delicious breast from between my lips and lift her so that she is standing on the bed, her delicate feet sitting just next to my hips. I rip her dress and panties from her heated body, in one quick motion, and she gasps and moans with the suddenness of it. _Note to self, Sookie apparently loves having her clothes ripped from her body. _"Fucking beautiful," I say and kiss her belly softly.

"Put your hands on the wall and lean your weight against them," I growl softly, and kiss her hip, nibbling on it slightly while I wait for her to obey. She hesitates only for a moment, before she places her hands on the wall and leans her weight into the palms of her hands.

"Good girl," I say and run my fingers lightly down the entirety of the front of her body, while Eric mirrors my movements perfectly and runs his down the back.

"Spread your feet further apart." This time she does it instantly, not even a moment of hesitation, and I can't help but to smirk slightly at her sudden willingness to comply. Simply amazing.

"Don't move," I say and she nods her head in understanding. I scoot a little bit, and my tongue quickly finds its way to her beautiful clit. I pull it between my teeth and nibble just slightly and her body spasms with pleasure. I release it and pull back just enough to watch as Eric's long fingers slide into her, slowly moving in and out searching for just the right spot. I can tell the moment he finds it because; once again her body spasms and I know it is taking every ounce of energy for her to keep herself standing.

I smirk again. Normally I would take my time, and have Eric take his time, slowly bringing her to the edge and then backing off over and over again until she is begging for release. Not this time though. This time I am going to hit her hard and quick and not let up. Pedal to the metal I think is the human phrase. I want her to go from 0 to 120 in three seconds flat and keep going until she can't move. I wait patiently, and watch silently as Eric pushes her closer and closer.

I can't wait any longer. I latch on to her clit and pull it into my mouth. I pull and twist and suck as quickly and hard as I can. I move my tongue rapidly against her and her back arches as she explodes in orgasm not even two seconds later. I move my thumb to her nub, vibrating it against her as I lick her juices from Eric's fingers, and he continues to work her. I move back to her clit, pulling it back into my mouth and again she cums almost instantly.

Her body stiffens slightly and I have a moment of curiosity on why she would suddenly be tense after two huge releases. Eric must have felt my curiosity because he tells me silently, 'Our Sookie just discovered the joys of anal stimulation.'

It takes every ounce of my willpower not to burst out in laughter at Eric's little trick. I kick it up a notch and push her harder and she quickly tumbles over the edge into another orgasm. Every muscle in her body is trembling and her knees keep buckling slightly before she catches herself and resumes her steadfast stance against the wall. I know she can't take much more, but I am determined to give her at least one more orgasm before I allow her to rest.

I pull back slightly, allowing her at least a partial moment of rest, and look up her body. She is truly divine. Her entire body is flushed a rosy pink, and a light sheen of sweat coats her everywhere I look, causing her to shimmer slightly in the dim lighting. Her head is thrown back in ecstasy, as her loud moans of pleasure escape her parted lips. Her eyes are clinched shut in concentration, the only thing she is living for, and can concentrate on, is the pleasure she is receiving at our hands. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my entire existence, and I find myself in awe of this woman before me, while at the same time feeling more confident and powerful then I ever have, because I am the one delivering her into this heaven. Well, Eric and I, but even that doesn't take away from the feeling of perfect bliss I feel in this moment.

I wish so much that Eric could see Sookie looking this way. I decide to try to do something I never have before. I form a perfect picture of Sookie in this moment at the forefront of my mind, I reach into myself, tapping into the bond that Eric and I share, and push the picture through. I know the instant that Eric receives it, because I get an overwhelming sense of awe and wonderment flowing from him, while at the same time he gasps and then growls in excitement. His hand picks up its pace and I know we are going into the home stretch.

I latch onto her again, and her body bucks slightly against me. I place my hands on her hips, trying to hold her steady and still. I work her more and more and despite my best efforts she still moves herself against me slightly. All too soon, she cums again, her moans suddenly cut off, and I know that this moment is beyond sound. It is all too perfect. I turn my head and slide my fangs into her thighs and she jerks, I know that she has just cum again, and then a second later I feel her tense because she is cumming once again. Eric must have chosen to wait a second longer before biting her, which of course triggered another orgasm. Tricky, tricky, trick boy; he always has known how to optimize any situation to get the most reward out of it, and I would say having Sookie have one orgasm on top of another is definitely a large reward. I pull once, twice, three times, and then all too soon it is over. I lick the wound and Sookie's body collapses. Eric and I move quickly and catch her falling form and gently lower her to the bed.

If I couldn't still hear her heart beat I would have been worried, well if I am being honest I am still slightly worried. She is shaking almost like she is having convulsions. Eric reaches out and pulls the two of us into him. The two of us run our hands up and down the length of her body, holding her tight and trying to be comforting while she recovers.

"Sshh lover, sshh. It is all right, we are right here," Eric says softly.

Sookie manages a small little laugh. "I'm okay, I am just trying to get my brain and body to work again." She laughs again and we both join her.

"Well at least we are all very relaxed now little one. Did you enjoy yourself?" I ask and kiss her forehead softly.

"Uhh duh, I think having six orgasms counts as thoroughly enjoying myself don't you?"

"Without a doubt," I laugh.

The three of us lay together for a long time, holding each other and just enjoying the afterglow of a beautiful experience. After awhile Sookie looks up at me and crooks her finger slightly, motioning for me to bend closer to her. I get closer and she softly kisses my lips; it isn't passionate or needy, there are no promises of sex or things to come. It is simply a soft caress of tenderness, that is almost chaste and reverent in nature. She pulls back slightly and looks me in the eyes. "I love you," she says and I feel like my heart is going to burst in my chest. Amazing, simply amazing.

"And I you, little one," I say softly. She smiles lightly at me and turns to Eric, repeating the process, and I can feel that his joy matched mine just as equally. We are truly blessed in this moment. As long as we have this, as long as we make sure that we take the time to be together, we can do anything.

"Now," she says softly, "I think I am ready to hear the story of the cup and move forward. I am ready for our lives to start, and I don't think it will until we get this story out of the way."

I smile at her. "How astute of you love. Very well. I lived in the Provence that is now known as Campania, in a little town that no longer exists but is close to the town now known as Caserta. My family was a family of farmers, we grew tomatoes and olives, and other various warm climate fruits. I lived there quite happily for most of my life, and then one day tragedy struck."

I let my eyes drift close and I slowly allow the memories of so long ago to drift into my mind. The memory of my former home, my former life, before I was tossed onto a new path that I never wanted or anticipated. I will never say I regret a thing, but I had a much different picture of what my life was meant to be then. Although lying here, in the arms of Sookie and Eric, I can see a new picture coming into focus. One where I am happy and whole, one where we will always be together. I guess it isn't that different than the ideals I had for myself back then. It is just skewed slightly. The memories come rushing back to me almost eagerly at my call, and I smile at the idea of telling my new love all about my history. I think this is a story she will enjoy immensely.


	14. Chapter 14

**Authors Notes:**

Hey everyone first let me say thank you so much for your patience and understanding on the delay. My beautiful, wonderful, magnificent beta worked her butt off to get these chapters edited and back to me so I could get them out to you as fast as we could. Hopefully I didn't lose a bunch of ya to the delay.

Okay now about this chapter, I am using Roman Gods and Goddesses in this chapter. Just so that you have a quick reference in case you are unfamiliar with them. Zeus (Ruler of all the Gods) in Greek mythology is Jupiter in Roman Mythology; Aphrodite (Goddess of love) is Venus in Roman myths, Athena (Goddess of wisdom, learning, arts, sciences, medicine, dying, trade, and war. She actually looks over a bit of everything, and she is a major player in this story.) She is also known as Minerva. Ares (God of war) is known as Mars. The last God I mention in this chapter is Vulcan, that is what he is most commonly referred too even when people are speaking of the Greeks Myths, but really in Greek Myths he is called Hephaestus, Vulcan is the Roman persona. He is the lord of the forge and fire. I don't really want to give ya'll much more detail then that when it comes to the Gods. I have all kinds back round on each but I am not sure if it is going to be relevant to the story so I won't bore you with those details. I will be using more Gods and Goddesses in future chapters but I will give ya'll the run down on them in the Authors notes. I really hope ya'll take the time to read them because sometimes I actually put important info in them. Hehehe.

As always I want to give all of you a ton of love for taking the time to read and review my work. It means a ton to me and truly encourages me to keep going. So please people remember to hit the little green button and tell me what you think, be it good, bad, or indifferent. I know I don't always respond to you guys, because if I did I would be spending more time writing responses then writing the stories I create, but I try and take the time to answer those of you who are confused or have something negative to say. I will always try and explained myself if there is something you are bothered by. I am more than happy to give my reasoning for doing things in the story, as long as I don't give away and future plot.

One last thing, I am in the final stages of my website going up. Catie, my beautiful editor, is working on my past work so that it is all polished and shiny, my sister is helping me with the music factor, even though a ton of you have helped with that as well, I do still have to get some pictures together for the site, but that isn't as important as the rest. I will let you guys know so you can go and check it out. I am excited to have all of you come and tell me what you think.

Okay so I lied there is one more thing, can I just say I am super flattered that ya'll like my sex scenes. I actually find it extremely humors that ya'll enjoy them so much. Ya'll should ask Catie, I HATE writing them. She is always great about listening to me whine and complain about having to get through each scene. I actually struggle writing them, it takes me days to write just a few pages of sex. Every writer has their strengths and weaknesses and I know that I have a much easier time working with the action scenes then the sex scenes. If I could write my stories without them I would. I just feel like they are necessary because I know I am always bothered when someone pretends like sex just doesn't occur or leads all the way up to it and then does the cutaway to the fireplace crap. Hehe. So yeah, thanks ya'll for loving them; it makes me feel better about struggling through them.

Much love from the west coast,

Lilli

**Chapter 14:**

**(Godric's P.O.V.)**

I run my fingers through Sookie's hair and allow myself to drift back. Back to that time when I was still human, back to the time when my world was changed forever, back to the only time in my long life where I was ever truly innocent. It is amazing how quickly things can change; my life was turned upside down with the simple ringing of a bell.

I take a deep breath and begin my tale. "I was a man then, by today's standards I would be nothing more than a boy still trying to find his way, but by my twentieth turn of the seasons I was very much a man. I had a nice home, a wife who had blessed me with two beautiful children, and a fairly profitable business selling and trading fresh olives and various other vegetables. My father was the leader of our little town, and he trained me to take his place for when the time finally came that he would leave this world and move on to the next. We lived a fairly quiet life. We were far enough away from Rome that we were not pulled into any of the skirmishes that the foolish politicians undertook. We had raiders from time to time, but they were few and far between and nothing that my little town could not handle.

"The day that my life changed for me, the day that I was truly born into my destiny is one I will never forget. I was in the field, playing with my girls; I did not have much to do that day, and my easy lifestyle allowed me to be more active in my children's lives, much more than most parents of that time. I was very blessed. They were very little, maybe four and five at the time. It is hard for me to remember some of the exact details, but I remember their laughter. It would echo off the olive trees and wrap itself around me in a shroud of love and comfort.

"We were chasing each other through the trees, without a care in the world, when the sound rang out and shattered my world forever. I had heard it many times before, and it was never a good thing, but never had I heard it with such disastrous consequences. I will never forget the unearthly ringing of the warning bell from that day.

"Like many villages of that era we had large gates that surrounded our village, and scattered here and there were watchtowers that would warn us if trouble approached. Most of the time it was just starving raiders from the east who were just trying to feed their families; we hardly ever had much more than a small dust up, and it was never anything we could not handle. The raiders always did damage of course, and sometimes lives were lost. We depended on our crops to sustain ourselves, just as much as these raiders depended on the things they took away from us, stupidity and desperation often lead to an untimely end.

"This time though, this time it was different, although I didn't know it yet_. 'Raina, Lillith, come here!'_ I yelled at my girls, their little cherub faces showed their hurt that I would raise my voice to them, but I needed to get them to safety. There was no real way of knowing how much danger we were in or how soon it would be upon us. I quickly rushed my girls into the house and found my wife, Sabean, waiting for me anxiously at the doorway.

"'_What is it Godric?' _She asked me, worrying at her bottom lip, just like she always did whenever she was overly anxious. Sabean and I had known each other for as long as I had memories. She was born and raised in the village to one of the more predominate families and after she was born, my father arranged my marriage to her. I was not more the three at the time of her birth, but from the day she was born we were inseparable.

"We were the best of friends; I think that is the best way to describe it. We did everything together; we went swimming, and fishing, and got into all kinds of mischief. I still remember the day when I turned 15 and my father told me that I was to marry her. I was outraged. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with her, she was very pretty and extremely smart, but I felt like I should have the power to choose my own fate. My father just laughed at me and said, _'Someday Godric, you will be a man and you will walk your own path, but never be foolish enough to think that you can make your own fate. Fate chooses you Godric, your string has been measured and the outcome is set. Yes, there will be ultimate decisions that will lead you one way or another, to either tragedy or happiness, but your path is still set. You must try and accept this, and live the best that you can.'_

"I was so angry at him that I did not speak to him for months after mine and Sabean's wedding had passed. I was young and foolish and I wish that I had not wasted that time now, but he was right. I accepted my lot; I married Sabean and had children with her. I did what was expected of me. We of course grew very fond of each other, but I am still unsure if it was true love. I loved her in my own way I suppose, but she too had a duty to perform and never once batted an eye at doing it.

"Because of all of this, I knew my wife very well, and I knew that she was more than just nervous, she was scared. I took her into my arms and kissed her forehead, trying to comfort her the best I could. _'I do not know what is going on, but I have to go Sabean. I have to go meet with my father and the other men so that we can organize and prepare for whatever is to come. Bolt the door behind me and only open it for villagers after the fighting is over. Understand?'_

"She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. I had never seen her behave in such a manner before. She did not cry on our wedding day, she did not cry when our girls were born, she had never cried before any of the other raids, she didn't even cry when she slipped on some rocks by the water when we children and busted her knee open so badly the healers thought she would lose the limb. She was brave, always so brave. In so many ways, I wish that last encounter had occurred differently. I wish I would have stayed with her. She begged, and she pleaded for me not to go. I didn't listen. I had an obligation to protect all of my village, not just my wife and my children, but all of the wives and all of the children were my responsibility.

"I was angry at her sudden show of weakness, especially in a time where she could not be weak. She needed to be strong for herself, for our girls. I lifted her up off of the floor and shook her and raised my voice in anger at her. I had never done such a thing and I could see the fear on her face at my own out of character behavior. _'Get a hold of yourself woman!'_ I bellowed at her, shaking her roughly again. _'You need to be strong for our children, protect our girls, all will be well. But I will not put up with this sudden insipid behavior of yours.'_ I dropped her and turned to my girls. I kissed them both softly, and whispered my love and devotion to them, telling them I would be back soon.

"I turned and walked away, just as I reached the door I heard my wife whisper _'I love you Godric.'_ I was still so angry with her, that I didn't stop. I should have stopped. Because her words were out of character for her it only fueled my anger further; we had never said those words to each other. I left angry and never told her that I too cared for her, I should have.

"I tried to shake off my wife's dark cloud as I rushed through the town and into the main hall. It was a large room and served as our gathering point for any event. Weddings, funerals, coming of age ceremonies, all were conducted in this structure. It had stood as the center of our town since my great-great-great-grandfather had come to this region with his family to settle down.

"The large doors stood open and I could see men rushing to and fro, like busy little bees. Everyone was coming here to be told what was expected of them by my father, and then rushing off to do whatever it was that needed to be done. I push through the crowd and find my way to my father's side, expecting him to send me off just like the rest, but he didn't even look at me when I stepped beside him. I shadowed his every movement. I waited through his every command to every other man in the village, and never once did he look up at me.

"The other men of the town noticed my father's odd behavior as well. They all shot me sidelong glances; I could see the questions on their faces. I was finding myself becoming more and more frustrated by the moment. First my wife, and now my father. I was at a loss as to how I would handle the situation. When the last man had come and gone my father finally looked at me. He had a sad smile on his face; thinking back on it, I think he knew what was going to happen. _'Sit down son,'_

"'_Father we do not have time for this, there is danger approaching _and _we need to be out there preparing for battle.' _I was so appalled at the time that he wanted to take the time to sit down to talk, when there were things that needed doing. He only smiled at me and patted my shoulder and led me over to one of the large tables that sat off to the side of the room.

"'_Indulge an old man for a few moments,'_ he laughed, but it was not the sound of merriment that I was used to. No, it was the sound of the heavy weight of time settling onto his shoulders. I had chills from that laughter; I had never heard any of the elders laugh in such a way. My father's burden was palpable, and it visibly hunched his shoulders trying to drag him down. Funny how I had never noticed before, but I have often found over the years that we are often blind to that which we do not wish to see. And I never wanted to see my father in such a helpless manner.

"'_Godric, there are many things I wish to tell you, but I fear that our time is short. There are things about your mother and your life that I have never revealed to you because a deal was struck and a promise was made. I wish that I would have had the courage to speak to you about these things before today, but I did not. That is one thing you must always remember son, try and live each day to its fullest and make sure you never have any regrets. You cannot go back and change the past son, so make damn sure that you make the most of the present. _

"'_Father you speak as if I will never see you again after today, it is just a raid. I have been in many battles; this is not my first time. I am not a child for you to fret and worry over. First Sabean and now you, have you all lost your minds? There will be plenty of time to tell me whatever you wish after the battle._

"'_Just remember son, you are special and well… I love you very much.' _I was floored, twice in one day I had heard the profession of someone else's affection towards me and I was so off kilter that I didn't know how to respond to him. _'But you are right we must get to the battle.'_ He stood and took a few steps towards the door and then stopped midstride, he turned back to me and chuckled lightly. _'I must be getting old, boy go and fetch my sword from the cache in the back, I forgot to grab it.'_

"I should have known something was going on. As if the profession of love wasn't enough, my father never forgot a thing, EVER! I didn't think anything of it though; I simply turned on my boot heel and started towards our weapons storage. I heard a soft _'I am truly sorry son,'_ before I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and then the world went dark.

"I am unsure of how long I was unconscious for, but when I awoke I was in a dark, cool room. I knew from the feel of the floor and the coolness, yet dryness of the air that I must be in the root cellar of the meeting hall. I was angry, beyond angry, that my father would hit me over the head and knock me out and stash me away like some small child. I plotted and schemed for ways to strike back at him, as I felt my way across the floor. I finally found the ladder that led up and out of the cellar and pushed the heavy hatch open.

"The second my head emerged from that hole, a scream of pain escaped from me. It was so wild, so sorrowful, so foreign, that for a long time I did not recognize it as my own. I remember that I slipped on the rung of ladder because my body shook so badly. I hit my chin on the edge of the entrance and barely caught myself before I fell back into the root cellar. I still have a scar from it.

"I managed to pull myself out of the hole and look around at the devastation that surrounded me. My entire village was gone. Nothing remained but blackened earth, rubble and ashes. A few fires still burned here and there, but they were very small. I knew that I must have been asleep down in that hole for a very long time, with everything being burnt to the ground like this.

"I pounded the earth and screamed about the unfairness of it all. Why had my father done such a thing? I could have helped, I should have helped, I could have saved them, or died by their side trying. I was angry about everything; I didn't even know how I managed to survive such a horrible incident. But somehow I did survive; the hatch to the root cellar didn't even have a single scorch mark on it.

"A suddenly painful thought flashed through my head as I stared down at the incredibly unmarred hatch of the cellar, and I jumped up, took off, and ran. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, faster than I had ever gone before in my life and skidded to a stop in front of the ash and soot that remained of my home. I screamed for my wife, for my children, but they didn't answer. I must have poured over every inch of the blackened earth, looking for any sign that my wife and children were still alive, that somehow they managed to escape whatever occurred here. I found nothing. The fire was just too great, if they were in here it would have burnt even their bones to ash, and I wept for the loss of everything I had ever known.

"I slowly made my way through the village, flitting from one home to the next, searching in vain over and over again to find any survivors. The hot earth burned my hands, my face, my lungs, but I didn't care. I just wanted to find someone, anyone, who could tell me what occurred here. There was no one. I finally came to edge of my village and found the first proof that at least some of my people were murdered. The raiders, whoever they were, had dug a large hole and thrown, what I could only assume were bodies, into it. They set them ablaze just like everything else in my town. The only reason I even knew that people had been thrown into that gaping back hole was that there were drag marks all around it, mixed in with dried blood and various weapons and clothing. They were sprinkled all around the devils pit like macabre decorations.

"I was truly at a loss as to what to do, where to go, how to proceed from this awful tragedy. I look up and I almost laughed. On the hill, just outside of my village stood one building, the temple of all Gods and Goddesses. I found it so funny that these murderous animals could kill innocent women and children and yet leave the temple completely unscathed. I suppose though, that if I put myself in their shoes I would probably feel the same. I mean, you have to know that you are already damned to eternity to burn in Hades fiery pit, why anger the Gods and Goddesses further by torching their sacred temple?

"I trudged my way up the hill. I had never been big on prayer, in fact I don't think I had ever stepped foot in a temple my whole life, but I had nothing left to lose and much to gain should the Gods and Goddesses choose to hear my pleas. I slowly pushed open the heavy doors and was amazed by the pristine inside. If I closed my eyes, and pretended really hard, I could almost ignore the utter devastation that lay at the bottom of the hill.

"My eyes zeroed in on the immense form of the almighty Jupiter, if anyone could help me, guide me, tell me where to go from here it would be him. I stepped into the temple, but each step towards the almighty became heavier and heavier, my emotions were dragging me down further and further. I was almost to him when I collapse from weariness. My knees hit first, and I winced internally waiting for the smack of my face meeting cold hard marble, but the pain never came. Instead I was wrapped up into to warm arms; they enfolded around and pulled me closer to a very soft, very feminine body. The feel of this woman's arms wrapped around, the feeling of comfort and love and trust that I had flowing though me, the sheltered feeling of home, ripped out the last of my self control.

"I started to cry, and not those manly silent tears that men do when they allow themselves such emotions. No, this was a heart wrenching sob, which shook every inch of my being. _'Sshh son, sshh. I know, I know, everything will be all right, I promise. I am sorry, I am so, so sorry.' _Her musical voice began to work its magic on me, soothing my soul and healing some of my pain, but I was surprised to her own pain in her words. She was truly remorseful for what I had endured, and yet I was confused because I thought that no one had survived the onslaught.

"I gently pull myself away enough to look up and I gasp audibly and stumble backwards. _'You're… you're… you are the Goddess Minerva,'_ I say, stumbling over my words and shock. My mind reeled with so many things, only one of which was the fact that the Goddess had just spent the better part of an hour comforting me, and cried her own tears at my pain. There was no mistaking that it was her. To me she had always been the most, beautiful, the most cunning, the most beloved Goddess, or God for that matter, in creation. I had always felt a special affinity to her, and loved her more than any other. I was always drawn to her, but was so afraid to even step foot inside of a temple to pray to her. I never understood why, I still don't.

"She smiled a small smile, one I had given my own children many times, that look of utter love and devotion that you give when you are indulging them in their silly and irrational musings. _'Minerva, Athena, I have many names, as do the other Gods. We are all the same. Humans just like to make us into their own entity so that they feel like they own us. The funny thing is none of humanity has gotten it right yet. I find that so often humans only see what they choose to see.' _

"My body trembled from head to foot, I was scared and confused and unable to get my mind around the idea that I was sitting here speaking with a God. Her face softened slightly and she said, '_Sshh child, it is all right. You should not be startled by my being here. Did you not come here to seek guidance?'_

"'_Well yes I did, but I was not expecting for a God to come down and answer my prayers, prayers by the way that I hadn't even made yet.'_

"'_Do you really think it matters that your prayers have yet to leave your lips? I know your heart son, and it is screaming for the loss that you have endured. You need guidance, I can only start you on the path, the rest will be up to you.' _She took me by the hand and pulled me to her, holding me and rocking me gently. Once again the feeling of utter comfort and contentment passed through me, it was as if I always belonged there, in her arms. _'There is greatness in you Godric, you are meant to do wonderful things. Your journey will be long though, longer then you can imagine, but I guarantee that you will find great happiness along the way.'_

"'_How could you possibly know these things? Nothing is definite.' _Minerva gave me a withering look. One that said clearly that she was not amused with my questioning.

_ "'I see all, every outcome of every decision that man will make throughout time and space. I am infinite. Your father was a wise man when he told you that there is only major points along the way in which fate can be turned. Your fate is set son, there is only one point where you will have to choose, but the rewards if you make the correct decision are beyond words.'_

_ "'What are the rewards?'_

_ "_She laughed at me. I was angry that she laughed at me, and then she saw my anger and she laughed some more. _'Do you skip to the end of the story before it has even begun? I have for you a gift,'_

_ "'What… what is it?'_

_ "'This is one of those moments child where your life has a pivotal turning point. You can either choose to accept my gift or ignore it; both have good and bad outcomes. Although I have a feeling that you will take the road less traveled. Your whole life has been building for this moment son, you have greatness in you and it can only be fulfilled to its fullest if you accept my blessings.'_

_ "'Are you even going to tell me what this blessing, this gift is?'_

_ "'Always so inquisitive Godric,' she sighed heavily. 'My gift is a cup, but not just any cup, this cup will…' _but what she was going to say was cut off by the sound of trumpets echoing through the air and then out of nowhere I was graced by the presence of another God, well, more accurately, another Goddess. There standing in the doorway of the temple was the personification of love. The woman, well Goddess, who was the most beautiful in the whole world.

"_'Great, just great, this is all I need right now. As if my life isn't fucked up enough already. This has to be some sort of cosmic joke right?'_ Venus, the Greeks called her Aphrodite, stood there and stared at me in utter shock. I would imagine that I am the first man that didn't fall to her feet groveling. Venus may be beautiful, and the embodiment of love, but she was also vengeful, and wrathful, her jealousy knew no bounds, and was full of spite and malice to all she felt scorned her in any way. It was probably not the smartest thing in the world to mock her, but I had never liked her. I had heard many tales of her meddlesome ways over the years and none of the stories were pleasant. If she was here it would be nothing but trouble.

"After a long time she turned her attention from me to Minerva. _'Stop what you are doing Minerva, the boy has yet to prove himself. He has not earned that cup.'_

_ "'WHO ARE YOU TO ORDER ANYTHING OF ME!' _Minerva screamed, and the ground shook beneath my feet.

_ "_Venus looked well and truly scared, and she should be; Minerva was not one to be messed with. She was many things, but one of them was the female personification of war. Mars, or Ares, had his place but so did Minerva. She guided men to battle just as often as Mars did. I really should have been more afraid of the tussle that was bound to occur between these two Goddesses, but really I was excited to see it. With everything that had happened, I was enjoying the distraction.

"_'That boy does not deserve that cup! I have plans for it; I have my own champion that I wish to give it too.'_

"Minerva laughed at her, holding her belly and giggling like a little girl. _'Ohhh, poor Venus. The cup was never meant for you. It was forged for him by Vulcan's own hands. Even if I were to give it to you, so that you can give it to whatever silly little flavor of the month you have for yourself, it will work for none but this boy. In anyone else's hands it is nothing more than a useless pile of gold and jewels, a very pretty one mind you, but nothing that will do anyone else any good. You don't even really know what it does, you are just determined to spite me because you THINK you can.'_

_ "'Why will it work for no one else?'_ Venus said and pouted, actually fucking pouted. She crossed her arms over her ample chest, and stomped one of her delicate feet and huffed loudly. She was like a large child throwing a tantrum because she was not getting her way.

"_'Because that is the way it must be so that selfish little children like you don't get any ideas about stealing it from him, that's why.'_

_ "'What makes him so special? He is nothing, he is no one, a farmer from the middle of nowhere. He has done nothing, he should prove himself.'_

_ "'Venus can you really tell me that you can't figure out what is special about the boy? Are you that dense?'_ Venus looked from Minerva to me and then back again. She stepped away from the doorway, approaching me for the first time since her grand entrance; she slowly walked a circle around me, inspecting me as if I was a horse. If she opened my mouth and looked over my teeth I would hit her, Goddess or no Goddess, woman or no woman; I was not some farm animal.

"She stopped off to my side, looking at my profile, and I crossed my arms over my chest and tucked my fingers underneath my biceps. I was getting more and more aggravated and I was afraid that I would slap Aphrodite just because she was getting under my skin. Again, not the smartest thought in the world, but my nerves were shot. _'NO!' _she gasped suddenly. _'It can't be. You mean to tell me that…'_

_ "_Minerva strode across the room and slapped her face effectively stopping whatever it was that she was about to say. _'Enough! Yes it is true and that is the end of that!'_

_ "'But… but… it's not fair!'_

_ "'Life never is girl.'_

_ "'He should still have to prove himself, regardless of who he is. He should still have to prove himself worthy of a gift from the Gods.'_

"Minerva rubbed her eyes; she looked so weary at the moment. In a hushed tone she said, _'If I agree to let you test him I have conditions.' _Venus opened her moth to protest but Minerva waved her off, and with a flick of the wrist her big old gapping mouth snapped shut. _'One, you will never speak of what you have discovered today to anyone ever. If you even attempt to say anything your immortality will be stripped from you and you will be cast out with no memory of your former self. I warn you Venus, it will not be all fun and roses if you are cast out. I will personally ensure that your beauty will be stripped from you and that your remaining days will be miserable and terrible. The only, ONLY exception to this is if I personally grant you permission and am present. Do you understand?'_

"She simply nodded her head in agreement; she looked well and truly frightened. _'Good. Second after he passes his tests, and he will pass I assure you, you will leave him alone. His road is going to be hard enough as it is without you interfering. He has what he needs, to find those that need to be found,_ and_ he will not need your help. Again, the only exception is if HE seeks you out, or I give you permission. Agreed?'_

"'_Agreed. Is that all?'_

"'_Yes,' _Minerva sighed in resignation.

"'_Good because I know exactly what your first quest should be. You dear boy are going to the mountain home of Vulcan.'_

"'_First quest,' _I said and at the same time Minerva said, _'No you can't send him there, please you can't Venus.'_ Venus threw her head back and laughed, it was musical and light but it was villainous and venomous; it most definitely was not a good laugh."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

(Godric's P.O.V.)

"So wait," Sookie says to me impatiently.

"Yes little one?" I ask as I try with all my might not to let my annoyance at her interruption leak into my voice.

"Let me get this straight, your wife was freaking out that your village was about to be attacked, your father was acting really odd telling you there were secrets about yourself that he never told you, he then knocked you out for your own 'good'," she said with those stupid little air quotations that humans do when they are expressing sarcasm. I have never understood why they do it, but they always do. I bite my tongue to resist the urge to snap at her for her cynicism, sarcasm, whatever you would call it. I really did not think now was the time for interruptions or her sarcasm at a situation that cannot be changed. I honestly didn't see the point it all of this.

"So then…" she says clearly unaware of my inner musings and annoyance at her**,** "you wake up and your entire village has burnt to the ground, everything gone, finito, nothing but ashes, yet somehow you miraculously survive. In your understandable grief you make your way to the only surviving building which just so happens to be a temple and you are comforted by the Goddess Athena… I mean Minerva… whatever and she tells you that you have a great destiny and a magical chalice all the while calling you son and my child. Did you not find anything weird about this situation?"

"Well… uh…" I stumble over my words because I had never really thought about it before. "To be honest I have never thought on it that heavily. Yes I have thought about that day, and tried to understand the tragedy of it all. Everything that came after seemed to be of much more importance in the grand scheme of things. Well, even that is not entirely accurate. My trials were just something that I endured and got through. I suppose I have only ever thought of the cup in the aspect of what will it bring me and when will the promises made to me come to fruition. Why do you pose these questions Sookie? Are you seeing something that has managed to elude me, and not just me, but Eric as well?" I think I say the last with a tad more bitterness and harsh tone than intended.

She sits up and looks down at me, one eyebrow raised and her head cocks to the side slightly. "Are you implying that I could not possibly see something that you could not?"

Eric reaches over and runs his hand down her thigh, obviously trying to sooth her. She turns to him slightly and crosses her arms over her chest, clearly waiting for one of us to say something. "Lover, it is just that, well, Godric and I have gone over this story many, many times and have pondered it all over and over again. For the both of us it has been a very long time constantly examining and reexamining what the cup could mean. I suppose that what Godric is trying to say is…"

"I know very well what he is trying to say ERIC!" she says raising her voice. "Apparently you are saying it as well and I think you are both a couple of idiots to not see what I see. You are both implying that I am too stupid to have any real insight into the situation when I don't even have the full story yet, but I know I am right."

"So enlighten us little one, regale us with what you have managed to figure out in a few short hours what I have not managed to figure out in over two-thousand years."

"No," she says and lies back down**.** I watch as she snuggles her adorable little ass back into Eric as if she hasn't even said a word.

"No?" I think my mouth is hanging open in shock.

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"No, a negative used to express dissent, denial, or refusal, as in response to a question or request. No, used to emphasize or introduce a negative statement. No, not in any degree or manner; not at all." She raises an eyebrow at me daring me to say something, anything.

I narrow my eyes at her. "I know the definition of the word**.** I meant why are you saying no, why will you not enlighten us with your wisdom?" I may be putting a tad more sarcasm and snide infliction into my words then I intended, with just a dash of outrage and anger, but really, NO? How could she even dare to say such a thing?

"No, I am too stupid to understand, so just finish your story Godric and if I feel like enlightening you later I will."

"This is childish Sookie, tell me!"

"No, are you going to tell me what happened next or not?"

"I could simply refuse until you tell me what you are thinking."

"Well then you're going to be waiting an awfully long time there buddy."

"Buddy? BUDDY? Are you kidding me? You know I can simply refuse to tell you anything until you deem me worthy of your own little musings."

Sookie jumps up and off the bed in a flash. "See! That right there," she says and points at me, "is why I am not telling you shit. I don't really give a fuck about this stupid story, you arrogant, pigheaded, asshole!" She storms away angrily, every step sounds like thunder through the room, as she rushes through the bathroom door and slams it shut behind her.

I look over at Eric, confused about what just happened. I arch my eyebrow at him and he smiles at me lightly. "I think," he says clearly amused with himself and the situation, "that you just pissed off our little beloved for the first time. I think that you just screwed up royally."

"But, I didn't do anything**,**" I whine, and then cringe at the childishness of my own voice.

"You were more than a little condescending to our Sookie." Eric's smug expression has taken a firm root upon his face and I just want to slap it off.

"The look is not appreciated Eric. I did nothing to her. She has no right to be angry and how is it that suddenly I am the asshole? You are the one that infuriates her all the time. I am the reasonable one who keeps you both in line. How is it that suddenly we have switched places?"

"Well, you did kind of belittle her; you can be very condescending at times Godric. I remember being in her shoes when we were first bonded. It was not always an easy thing at times. You are very… opinionated. If you feel that your idea is right, that is the end of the discussion, you are unwilling to listen and even hear anyone else out once you have made up your mind about something. In certain situations it is a great asset, but also one of your greatest weaknesses. You also blind yourself to a lot of angles that you would never have considered because of this. Sometimes there are much simpler solutions that you just are incapable of seeing. You always get us from point a to point b Godric, but often your line is not so straight getting there. It took me hundreds of years before you would even consider anything I said as a viable option, let alone hear me out."

"Of course, because I am older and have been through more and know more than you could. You did not have the necessary experience to input anything into any decision."

"Sookie is right, you are an asshole. I love you Godric, but how arrogant can you be to assume that no one could possibly have any valuable input on any given situation if they are not as old as dirt. Sookie most likely has seen something that is plain as day to her, something that you and I have both obviously missed, but you are unwilling to even listen to her without being an egotistical manic and extremely condescending and dismissive as well. She often has insight that most others do not because of her gift, a subtle turn of phrase will mean something entirely different to her then it would to you or me. Why would you think she would want to tell you anything after you dismiss her so harshly? If I treated her in such a manner what would you say?"

It takes everything I have within me not to hang my head in shame. I have just been chided by MY child, my bonded, and beloved Viking, and he is absolutely correct. If the roles were reversed I would have scolded him harshly. Of course I am not about to tell him this, although the arrogant look on his face tells me plainly that I do not have to. I rise from the bed and walk across the room and tap lightly on the bathroom door.

"Go away," Sookie says, her muffled voice coming so quietly through the door even I can barely hear her. I listen closely and I can just make out her silent sobs.

I sigh a very unnecessary sigh. "Please beloved, open the door."

"Why should I? You are just going to ridicule me and not listen to a word I have to say. If you think so little of me why should I even bother? I thought you were the reasonable one, I thought I could count on you, but obviously I was wrong."

A sharp pain shoots through my chest at her stinging words**;** I hurt her, and that was never my intention. "I am sorry Sookie, please open the door."

"No." I hear her voice, just on the other side of the door; she must have come closer to it. I can hear her body lean against the door now and slowly slide down, so that she is just on the other side of this flimsy piece of wood. Just one small insignificant barrier between her and I, but it might as well be a ocean with the feelings that are going on. I have no one but myself to blame for her need to feel like she had to be separated from me, from us.

I turn my back to the door and slide down it myself, and bury my face in my hands. "I am sorry Sookie, I did not mean to be such a… such a…"

"I think cocksucker is the word you're looking for," she says loudly through the door and I try to not snort at her snotty quip, but somehow fall short.

"Not the word I would have chosen but adequate. Will you please come out so that I can apologize to you properly and listen to your insight? Please little one, I did not mean to be so arrogant. Eric is right, this is how I always behave, I have had many experiences in my long life and that often blinds me to the fact that others may have more insight into things than me."

Suddenly without warning the door flings open. It catches me off guard and I fall backwards onto the cool tile flooring of the bathroom. The only good thing about being blindsided and hitting my head is that it left me staring up at my angel. "Funny how Eric is the one who manages to be the level headed one in the relationship all of the sudden. With as much as he irritates the hell out of me, you would think he would have been the one pissing me off beyond belief, with you fixing the rift he caused."

I hear Eric snicker quietly from the bed and I watch as Sookie whips her head upwards and looks at him. "Hey, you are not any more innocent than he is buster. I am not happy with you either. You both practically called me stupid and I am not, and I repeat, NOT happy about it. You may have talked some sense into Godric, but that doesn't excuse the fact that you brushed me off as well. You weren't as annoying about it, but you still did it." Eric's shoulders slump slightly, I want to scream HA at him because now he is the one being scolded, by a twenty something human girl I might add, and it doesn't really feel all that good.

I rise up from the floor and pull Sookie into my arms. She resists slightly but does allow me to complete the motion, although you could bounce quarters off of her with her being as stiff as she is. I kiss her forehead and say, "I am sorry Sookie, really and truly**.** I will try and be more open. You must try and be patient and understanding with me though, I have never had to stop and listen to anyone else's opinion. I have always just known the course that needs to be taken and done what has needed to be done. It is not going to be easy for me."

I feel a wetness spread on my shirt and hear Sookie sniffling softly. "I think this might just be too much. It is hard enough making things work in a normal human couple, then you add to that that you are not human, and then throw in another person, it just seems like it is going to be too much. This is the second argument in less than three hours and if this is what we are going to be doing all the time, how are we ever going to work?"

I stroke her back soothingly and try and find the words that will comfort her, assure her that this is right. "Sookie," I sigh, "little one, I am not saying that we will never disagree on things, it would be a lie and completely unrealistic for me to say that to you. However, I know we, the three of us, belong together. We will face challenges learning how to make it work, especially in the beginning, but it will work and we will be happy."

She looks up at me, her huge blue eyes watery and unsure. "How can you be so certain?"

I smile at her, and try to put as much love and care behind my smile as I can. "Come back to bed with me little one and I will tell you the rest of the story**,** and then you will understand how I am so sure that we will work. The three of us are meant to be."

She nods at me wearily and I lead her back to the bed, and I scoop her up and softly lay her back down next to Eric. He pulls her into his chest and softly runs his hand down her side, over her shoulder, down her arm, tickling across her ribs, and squeezes her hip lightly. Sookie sighs and snuggles backwards into him further. This action gives me hope that perhaps things will not be as difficult during our adjustment to this new relationship. Twice now we have been able to sooth our hurt feelings fairly quickly. We didn't just give up and walk away; one of us took up the gauntlet and fixed it. It is a very good sign, I smile to myself and climb next to her, lean forward and kiss her soft lips chastely.

"I love you little one, never doubt that," I say.

"Oh I don't," she snorts, "because if I did you would have gotten a frying pan upside your head for treating me like you did."

I can't help but to laugh loudly as a vivid image of Sookie heaving a large iron skillet like a blade and whacking me in the head flits through my inner imagination. Sookie smiles at my laughter and Eric joins in with his own soft chuckle. No doubt he has a similar image dancing through his brain as I do. Our little Sookie, the hellcat, the firecracker, the fierce warrior with a heart of gold, by the Goddess**,** what a woman. I think in the future I will just have to remember to keep her away from the kitchen when I piss her off.

"Now," I clear my throat reading myself to jump back into the story, "where was I?"

"Venus just told you what your first quest was going to be," Sookie says softly.

"Oh yes Venus." I roll my eyes. "She was a handful to say the least. I was beyond astonished at the fact that I was not only going to have to do a quest, for a cup that was already mine and would only work for me, according to Minerva anyway, but I was going to have to do several. Apparently though Minerva was far more concerned with the fact that Venus was sending me to Vulcan's mountain home.

"'_You cannot send him there Venus, please don't do this_,' she said, begging with the Goddess to spare me some fate that was still very much a mystery to me.

"'_But I can and I will,_' Venus says in her singsong voice, dancing slightly in place clearly amused with herself and her own cleverness. _'He agreed to prove his worth and I have the right to set the task. He IS going to see Vulcan.'_

"'_But…_' Minerva says, allowing her words to trail off in a feeble attempt to block me from whatever mischief the arrogant Venus was up to.

"'_Enough of this_,' I said loudly to both of them and they turned their heads towards me**.** Minerva, poor beautiful Minerva looked heartbroken, rainbow tears slid down her face. I am not just speaking metaphorically by the way; literally each tear looked like a rainbow was trapped inside. I never did find out whether it was just her tears or if it was all Gods and Goddesses in general, I would imagine that mortals do not see them cry very often, if ever. I had this overwhelming urge to go to her and wrap her in my arms and provide her with all the comfort and love I had within me. I smiled at her softly trying to convey my sorrow for her misery. '_I will be alright_,' I almost whisper to her and she simply nods in agreement.

"I turn to Venus, and look her up and down, somehow she had just become even more ugly to me**.** I truly did not understand how any man, woman, or child could find her beautiful, this smug vindictive thing. Oh how I loathed her, how dare she make the beauty that is Minerva cry those beautiful and yet awful tears. _'Enough of the games Venus tell me what I need to do and where I need to go, so that I can be on my way. I have enough of your insipid games and behavior.'_

"_'Oh but the games are only beginning young one.'_ She laughs and claps her hands together, bouncing up and down slightly with her own glee. I suppose it was supposed to be a beautiful laugh, full of promises of sex and love, but it left me feeling cold. I wave my hand at her, trying to encourage her to get on with it and she pouts slightly at me. '_Aww, in such a hurry, do you treat all women this way when you deal with them?'_

"'_No_,' I said as I smugly crossing my arms across my chest. '_Just the annoying ones who insist on wasting my time.'_

"'_How dare you!_' she said, her power flowing around her in a vivid red aura, her long golden locks whipping backwards away from her and floating behind her on the waves of her own power. I stood my ground, unimpressed by her little show.

"'_You can't hurt me Venus, you gave your oath. Now, tell me what I need to know so that I can be on my way.'_ That of course took the wind out of her sails and her power died suddenly; her arms relaxing at her side and her hair fell limply behind her. I could still feel her power ready to lash out at me at the first opportunity, but it was slowly ebbing out of the room.

_"'Travel North until you reach the Northern most mountain in Italy. There, amongst the rolling hills in the shadow of Mount Amiata, you will find the entrance to Vulcan's forge.'_

"'_Wait, wait, wait. I am no fool Venus, everyone knows that Vulcan's forage lies within the heart of Vesuvius. I will not have you sending me running around the country on a fool's errand.'_

"Minerva turns to me. _'I assure Godric, Vulcan's forge does lie within the heart of Amiata. Would you hide your most sacred place somewhere that everyone knows about? I think not. He moves about from mountain range to mountain range, his forage always going with him, but he hardly ever takes up residence in Vesuvius anymore. Too many mortals come looking for him there, seeking his favor and getting themselves killed if they manage to gain entrance.'_

"I nod to Minerva in understanding; it makes sense that he would be able to transport from one range to another and also stay away from the one mountain that everyone knows has been his lair. If they all go looking there they would never think to search the others. Brilliant.

"Venus taps her foot lightly and huffs loudly. '_Can I go on please_?' I wave my hand in acquiesce to signal that she may proceed.

"'_Thank you_!' she huffs loudly. _'As I was saying, travel north for a fortnight and you will find the lair of Vulcan, once you gain entrance you must traverse the winding maze into the heart of Vulcan's forage. Once there you must retrieve a blade, a beautiful danger, with a serpent entwined around its handle and its face pointed towards the sun. He keeps it hidden, in a metal box, somewhere deep within the forge. It is his most precious possession. Retrieve the blade and bring it back here to prove that your quest is successful. You have, shall we say, one turn of the moon to complete your journey and return. Oh, and you can have no divine intervention within the maze to guide you. Agreed?'_

"'_Agreed_.' I was full of doubt; this task that Venus had set for me was going to be extremely difficult. Just the traveling time was going to be hard. To get as far as I had to and back in only one month's time was going to be almost impossible, I would have to walk almost non-stop to be able to make it all the way there and back in that time frame. Not to mention the challenges I would face once I managed to reach Vulcan's fiery forge.

"I knew though that I really didn't have anything to lose. I had nothing left, my wife was gone, my kids were gone, my entire village was gone**;** I had nothing. There was no point in my lingering in this sad decimated place and pining away for my life to be different. The Goddesses were giving me a new path to walk, a purpose that would get me through this time of grieving. I was not going to turn this opportunity away, no matter how impossible the task seemed.

"I turned and started towards the doorway of the temple ready and almost eager to start my journey, just as I reached the huge marble doors Minerva called out to me. '_Wait, Godric__**.**__ I have for you a gift to aid you on your quest.'_

"'_**NO**_!' Venus screamed at her**.** _'You can give him nothing; he does this on his own.'_

"Minerva spun on her heel and came dangerously close to Venus, and I could see Venus's body tremble in fear so clearly that it looked like her entire body was blurring around the edges from it. '_In any hero's quest, the hero is given three gifts to aid them on their way. It is the way it is done, since you choose to not aid him I will. Are you going to try and stop me?'_ A soft yellow glow emanated from Minerva, slowly filling up the room with the eerie light, I felt as if I was swimming through the light, it was thick and heavy on my body and I thought for sure that I would drown in her power.

"'_N… n… no, I will not stop you._' Venus said**.** I watched as she visibly pushed her fear away and locked it down within herself. _'You can give him your gifts Minerva, but you cannot help him after he leaves here. You cannot aid him through the country side, you cannot warn Vulcan, and you cannot aid him through the maze that leads within the forge. He must do it on his own.'_

_"'Do you really think I would help him cheat? He is worthy of this cup, the only reason I am consenting to this foolishness is so that you will leave him be.'_ Her power suddenly was sucked out of the room and I was left feeling empty from its departure. She turned to me a small smile on her face, and walked me out into the cool air of twilight. She whistled into the fading light and out of thin air a magnificent beast appeared.

"Beast is not really the right word for him, and he was most definitely a him that was painfully clear, but he was like nothing I had ever seen before. A horse stood before me, but he was no normal steed. He was three times the size of any horse I had ever seen before. His coat was the color of soft spring leaves, that seemed to shine with some unseen light, but the light came from within, not just glinting on his coat like any normal horse. His mane and tail was black as midnight, black as pitch, blacker then the foulest witch. It moved in constant ripple reminding me of black flowing waves of cold fire that whipped about him, moving in the ebb and flow of his own power. His were silver like the moonlight on clear winter nights and they too glowed from within bathing me in their ethereal glow, washing over me in a steady thrumming pulse like beats of a drum.

"'_Areion this is Godric, Godric this is Areion.'_ I was more than a little confused at the odd introduction that the Goddess gave, surly you did not introduce a beast to its master in such a way. Areion's head swiveled towards me, I could see intelligence behind those eyes, looking me over, seeing if I was worthy. I shook my head slightly, surely a horse, regardless of its size and magnificence is still a horse.

"I stuck my hand out and shushed quietly as I approached him. _'It's all right I won't harm you, we are going to be good friends, you and I.'_

"A loud thundering boom of laughter erupted into the fading light. The horse, Areion, threw his head backwards, his mouth open, his teeth glinting in orange and red light, sending rainbow prisms dancing across my skin. I stumbled backwards as I realized that laughter, that merry wonderful laughter was coming from the throat of the horse in front of me. '_Where did you find him milady?_' he said and turned slightly to see Minerva**.** I watched him stomp those impossibly large hoofs into the soft landscape, tearing it into a gaping wound in the hill.

_ "'He meant no insult Areion. How is he supposed to know that you are more than just a simple beast of burden?'_

"The horse, whinnied and snorted**;** it was a very derisive, condescending sound that escaped his muzzle. '_By opening his eyes and looking, I would think._'

"Minerva smiled at him. '_Yes you are beautiful, but beauty does not dictate intelligence._' She turned slightly, looking over her shoulder back towards the temple; I followed her line of sight and saw Venus, in all her glowing glory, standing in the doorway with a scowl on her face so fierce you would think it would melt the skin of the other Goddess away.

"Apparently Areion had followed her glance because he giggled, well as close to a giggle as a horse can come; it was more like a whickering whinny, and he said, in that deep musical voice, 'Too _true milady, _too _true. Now, how may I serve you this day?'_

"Minerva turned back to him and tilted her head slightly. _'I need you to aid this boy on his quest, he needs to travel to Mount Amiata and be back here within one turning of the moon.'_

"Areion narrowed his sliver eyes at Minerva, examining her closely. '_You are sending the boy to Vulcan?'_

"She shook her head lightly**.** '_No, Venus is sending the boy to Vulcan, I am giving him his hero's gifts to aid him on his way.'_ She leaned closer to him, brushing that flaming black mane away from his eyes and ear, and lowered her voice whispering to him, _'He will never make it to Vulcan's mountain and back on foot in the time period Venus has set, she wishes to stop the boy from receiving his birthright. I will not allow that to happen. I cannot help him or you during the quest, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that he is successful.'_

"Areion looked at me and then back to Minerva, and then back to me and back to her**.** I watched as realization passed through his eyes and a almost gasp hissed out of his mouth. _'This is the boy who is to receive the chalice.'_ She simply nods in agreement, a solemn look on her face. _'Minerva, surely he cannot go to see Vulcan, he will know, he will figure it out.'_

"'_Of course he will, but he is smart, there are rules, you know the boy__**'**__s destiny, none of us can interfere. Your vow_ is_ that you will not reveal what you know to this boy.'_

"'_I swear, but what if Vulcan decides to harm the boy in his rage once he figures it out?_'

"'_He wouldn't do that,'_ she said, she sounded so unsure of herself, almost trying to persuade herself that her words were true. She shook her sudden melancholy and doubting mood off and said roughly, in a clear tone of command, '_Just get him there and back in one lunar cycle, help keep him safe. Don't stop unless it is absolutely necessary, he can learn to sleep sitting up._' She turned to me and places a hand on my shoulder gently. '_Take this,_' she said and handed me a leather pouch.

_ "'What is it?' _

_"'Inside you will find a water skin that never runs dry and bread and salted meat that never diminish in size. It will get you through the next moon. I want you to have this as well, just in case,'_ she said as she pulled out the most beautiful piece of craftsmanship I had ever seen. It was a full length broad sword; it gleamed in the fading orange light, giving it the appearance of it being made of living flame. The handle was a beautiful bronze that matched that dancing glittering light perfectly. I had never seen it's equal and still haven't to this day. '_This sword will keep you safe, you are strong Godric, you have been well trained in the ways of the warrior, you are brave beyond your own knowledge, you can do this, have faith my boy.'_ She patted my shoulder lightly and looked deep into my eyes, and I could see that there was more that she wished to say, but somehow, this Goddess was at a loss for words.

_ "'Thank you,'_

"She nodded at me and shoved me in the direction of Areion. '_Go_**,**' she said**,** her voice firm and yet, I could see tears lurking just behind her eyes. I jumped up and settled myself onto Areion's broad back, twining locks of that black flame that made up his mane through my fingers. I turned back, to say something, anything, I knew that I needed to express something but was unsure of what was needing to be said. '_Go_!' she said and slapped Areion's rump harshly. He reared back, throwing his front hooves into the air, whinnied, and took off into the night.

"I was on my way to the mighty forage of Vulcan, to retrieve a dagger for a pretentious Goddess. I knew though that this was only the beginning, my destiny lay out before me in a bright shining road and I knew I would need much more than a pretty horse, a fancy water bottle, a mighty blade, and luck on my side.

"I was pulled from my thoughts as the dark night started to wrap around us and Areion finally spoke. _'By all the Gods did she really have to slap me so hard? I was going.'_ He snorted in irritation and I could not help but to laugh a loud warm sound, it was so odd to me because I would have sworn I would never have thought I could laugh again, but here I was laughing at a pretentious, know it all, glorified horse. My laughter bounced back to me off the trees and filled me with great warmth.

"'_No my friend, I doubt that she had to slap you quite so hard. You want me to kiss it better for you?'_ I chuckle at him and he bucks his hind legs in response to my comment.

"'_Watch it boy, I can still buck you off. Minerva said I had to get you there and back in one lunar cycle, I do not recall anything about you being in one piece as part of the bargain._' All I could do is laugh again.

"'_Indeed great and might Areion, indeed_.' He snorted in response and we fell into a comfortable silence. I was thankful to have such a fine traveling companion in this beast. He may have been just a horse, but he had a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue. Suddenly the prospect of facing the unknown mystery that is the mighty Vulcan was not nearly so scary to me. I would be all right; somehow everything was going to be all right.

"A wicked thought flashed through my head and I just couldn't help myself. '_You know what Areion?'_

"'_What is that young Godric?'_

"'_For a mighty hell beast you sure do have such a silky soft coat. So pretty and shiny you must really intimidate all the other hell beasts. I would wager a pretty penny that they all shake in their boots when you pass by.'_

"I snickered and he bucked his hind legs again in protest to my teasing remarks, but I could hear him choke down his own amusement. '_Watch it young one, watch it.' _ A few moments later I heard him murmur beneath his breath, _'Hell beast indeed, bah.'_


	16. The Winner is

Dear Awesome Readers,

So, may I just say I am humbled by the amazing amount of support, that some how is still there after two years, you all have shown me. I am touched to say the least. So, the big results. Bam bam bam, in second place was Learning to Live Again and in first place ... is a darn tie between Shadows of Doubt and The Dance. Serriously, it was a dead heat for both stories through the whole week plus I gave y'all. Which means I have to decide. I am torn to be honest, but I looked over the first three chapters of both stories and I think I know what direction one is going more then the other. So It will be The Dance. I am going to start review chapter's and see what I can do this weekend. I will keep all of you updated. It might take some time to get through everything and start the process of the next chapter, but I promise that I am going to be working on it. I will try to keep you all updated at least once a week as to where I am at. I know some people find authors notes annoying, but well, the one thing I have always loved about this site is that I can actually reach out to all of you and have real conversations with you. Let you know where I am and what is going through my head. Even if I ramble a bit. (Blame Red Bull) So, while all of you are wating on tenter hooks for whats gonna happen next, may I humbly suggest a distraction. Go here ericizmine index/the-multi-verse/ Just take out the spaces. This is one of my all time favorite fan fic authors. I am sure some or most of you have heard of EricIz Mine a.k.a. Angela but if you haven't you should check her out. She is amazingly talented, in fact her work is the hole I have hidden in during this last two years. She has an amazing spin on how Eric and Sookie couldv'e shoulv'e wouldv'e. Start with Bored to Death. So that is all for now, my beloved readers. You will be hearing from me again soon.

Much love, as always, from the west coast,

Lilli


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